Lovelorn
by Mushrambolover
Summary: Rin became a maid to Lord Sesshomaru's house when she was a child- and has loved him ever since. By taking a chance, she might get the opportunity to show Sesshomaru her affection or end up lovelorn evermore.
1. Chapter 1

"_I watch the birds fly on by, touching the bright sky, flying so high…"_ Rin sang the random tune as she aired out one of her mistress' formal kimonos.

"_I watch as the servants go on, doing their chores, making me bored…"_ She placed the perfume vase under the kimono and fanned the exotic smell onto the garment.

"_I wish I couldn't smell anymore, smell anymore, smell anymore…"_ She watched as one of her fellow servants hauled out another garment for Rin to clean and scent, teasing him as he wiped sweat off of his brow, _"For I know someone who needs a bath, needs a bath, needs a bath…"_

"Hey!" he acted offended and shook his clawed finger at the young girl. He proceeded to mock-sing in a falsetto, _"I know someone who needs to stop singing, needs to stop… sing-innnnnng."_

"That wasn't very melodic, Toki!" Rin chastised her friend. "You're just jealous because I don't have to haul around the lady's every kimono and obi!"

"It's true," he agreed with only a hint of sarcasm. All of this hauling and lifting was going to kill him really soon. "The lady has been really flustered over the guests. The visiting demoness is just as bad, from what I hear. This kimono comes from her."

"So the rumors are true then? The demoness here is another suitable match for Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin asked her friend, knowing of his keen ear and time spent around the noble family.

"Yes. It seems like this one won't be deterred by Lord Sesshomaru's lack of interest," he said while he lowered himself into the shade cast by the kimono Rin was currently shaking out. He saw her dreamy gaze and quickly added, "I know Lord Sesshomaru is fun to look at and all but he is the royal bastard, Rin. I wouldn't want to keep him company for all of the food in the world. And you know how much I like food…" he patted his stomach to accentuate his remark. "He's quite lackadaisical for everyone, including his own mother."

"She'll go running for the hills after Lady Susumu sinks her teeth in, I'm sure," Rin laughed lightly while setting the fine patterned silk on the drying bar.

"I can't wait for Lord Sesshomaru to finally pick a demoness so that I can go from this defiling job back to my post as a guard," Toki sighed, wishing to be wearing armor and his swords instead of the simple raiment he had to wear for servant's work.

Rin smiled back at her demon friend and said, "At least we get to talk a lot more because of it!"

"Very true," Toki agreed with a yawn. "All of this sun and hard work makes me want to take a nap! Why don't you put that voice of yours to good use and sing me a lullaby?" he half-joked. No matter how much he teased Rin, Toki actually was quite enchanted by the young human's voice and would probably fall for her if he didn't have his eyes set on another servant girl.

"I suppose… How about the song with the tree that fell in love with a cloud?" Rin started the tune and found herself going on and on with the song while she worked.

* * *

><p>"Surely you must understand the seriousness of your situation, Sesshomaru?" the regent lady of the castle asked of her son, who sat higher than her in his study.<p>

He stayed silent. Either this was a sign of him listening or a sign of him ignoring.

"Lady Kagura is our best and last choice," Susumu stated with great trepidation. Although her son looked calm and collected, his temper could destroy a nation with a sweep of his claws. "She is quite powerful," Susumu added. She knew of her son's hunger for power, and also knew of his quests to strengthen himself.

"She is merely a wind sorceress, mother," he drew out 'mother' with a sneer in his voice.

"Her father controls many demons in the south! He would be a powerful card to be played in the game of war!" she desperately needed her son to see the many things he could gain from choosing a lady. He could gain power, fortune, and most important of all, he could gain her grandchildren.

"My only concern is to find and wield Tessaiga and Sounga," Sesshomaru commented with a cool demeanor.

"Your father's poor excuses for swords? Sesshomaru, you have already been given the unmatchable Tenseiga…" she tried to reason with him, tried to give him a hint! If only her stubborn son would open up his eyes and see the most formidable weapon sitting right in his belt! Meido Zangetsuha was one of the deadliest attacks Susumu had ever seen her former lord perform and was a part of the Tenseiga which had the power to restore life! If only her son would realize the worth of his own sword! She would have told him its many secrets long ago if her late husband had not warned her not to.

'He must find his own way to power and become his own powerful demon…' he had told her all those years ago before his death.

Susumu fingered the Meido stone on her necklace and studied Sesshomaru a bit more. For a demon so smart, he could not see the truths right before his very eyes.

"Tenseiga is useless," Sesshomaru sneered. He knew of its ability to restore life, but found it insignificant. Who would be worthy of a restored soul? A restored soul granted by him, the Great Lord Sesshomaru?

"Will you at least meet Lady Kagura, Sesshomaru?" Susumu sighed, hoping Sesshomaru would for once see past his own pointed nose. Her late husband had warned her that Sesshomaru would need to feel and experience compassion and love before he could truly master his sword. This was her way of helping her son without actually letting him know about it.

"No." With that, Sesshomaru dropped the paper he was reading and swiftly exited the room, leaving his mother in the proverbial dust.

* * *

><p>"<em>Toki sleeps the day away, missing his chance to see the sway, of his beloved woman's back… while he lacks much tact…"<em> Rin sang, hearing the grunt of annoyance from Toki, who unsuccessfully feigned sleep.

"Different song, Rin," Toki said, while throwing an arm over his red eyes after Rin shifted the kimono to compromise his shade.

"_On the floating, ship less oceans, I did all my best to smile…"_Rin started another of her favorite songs, deciding to leave Toki to his sleep.

Sesshomaru, who was still avoiding every member of the visiting party and his mother, found himself walking around the southeast corner of the fortress. Normally, this part of the castle remained disregarded by him, but today it would be a quiet place to get away from all of the crazy demons within the damned fortress.

As he got closer to one of the gardens, he heard a harmonious voice drifted from behind a line of bushes. Perfect quiet hiding place ruined, Sesshomaru decided to investigate to see if he could scare whoever it was away from the garden.

Upon getting closer, he realized it was singing he heard and quickly leaped on top of the bushes to inspect the singing.

"…'_til your singing eyes and fingers…drew me loving into your isle…" _Rin continued to sing, scrubbing a particularly tough stain on the interior of a heavy kimono. She managed to throw the upper half over her shoulders to keep it off the ground while she wrung the golden hem of the kimono.

Sesshomaru caught sight of the figure of a guard he recognized sprawled out on the grass amid a few drying racks. He strained to see where the voice was coming from. All his golden eyes could see were delicate feet sticking out from a particularly elegantly patterned kimono with a golden hem while the woman's upper body was obscured by a branch from a nearby tree.

She kept singing the song, almost daring Sesshomaru to leap down and take a look at her obfuscated face. He caught glimpses of dark hair and layers of kimono.

His nose wasn't much use to him around here - the fragrances used to perfume the kimonos overpowered every other scent in the vicinity.

"My lady," Toki said, teasing Rin. "You look quite beautiful in that kimono."

Rin stopped her singing and laughed, realizing it did look like she was wearing the wonderful kimono. She struck a pose for Toki and continued to clean, leaving out her songs to catch her breath.

Toki rose with the speed only demons possessed, "I bid you farewell, my lady." He smiled, still teasing her about the kimono.

Sesshomaru quickly moved from his spot on top of the bushes to the other side, and thought for a moment. The guard called the singer 'my lady' and complimented her on her beauty. The only ladies in the castle were his mother and the wind sorceress.

Maybe he should reassess his consideration of the demoness…

* * *

><p>Rin was helping the regent Lady of West dress a few days later for dinner. The lady had chosen a summer kimono to reflect her mood: happiness. The main part of the kimono was patterned with pink and orange flowers and her obi was a cheerful blue color.<p>

Rin was tying the obi when one of the lady's personal maids asked, "Do you think your son will ask Lord Onigumo for Lady Kagura's hand tonight, my lady?"

Lady Susumu smiled, a rare sight for anyone, and answered, "We shall see…"

Another maid who was fixing the lady's hair asked, "Why do you think he suddenly changed his mind, my lady?"

Rin was trying her very best to ignore the conversation and hide her despair. It is not like the mighty Lord Sesshomaru to even glance in a human girl's direction…

"I do not know… He had left me without a single regard one afternoon and that very same night he appeared at dinner, showing genuine interest in Lady Kagura. It was quite strange, but certainly not unwelcomed."

Rin interjected, "Is this knot to your liking, my lady?"

Susumu turned to see her posterior and nodded her approval. "Please go wait in the dining room. I might need your assistance later," she waved her hand, a sign for Rin to leave and do as she instructed.

Rin left quickly and made her way to the dining room. The kitchen servants and cooks were scurrying about, making their last preparations for the elaborate dinner that Lord Sesshomaru had requested. Rin sat a few yards behind where her lady would sit once she arrived from her quarters. She saw Lord Sesshomaru come in, followed by a few of his top guards, and watched him as best as she could from her submissive bowing position.

Toki came in next, leading the Lady Kagura, who was adorned in the kimono with the golden hem that Rin had struggled to clean only a few days before. Toki helped the lady to her seat across from Sesshomaru, and came to stand behind Rin as one of the guards for the occasion.

He whispered to her, "Have you heard the rumors, Rin?"

Rin nodded, once again having to sigh over the eminent loss of Sesshomaru.

Toki bent when he felt no one important was looking and said into her left ear, "The reason he's doing it is because of her _singing voice_, I hear."

Rin tilted her head toward him, taking in the new information.

"I was there when he told Prince Kouga about it," he continued, gesturing to the wolf demon sitting a few seats down from Sesshomaru. "Kouga's not too fond of Lady Kagura, apparently. Said something about her father attacking his tribes last season..."

Rin whispered back, "She sings?" If only she had known that was the way to land a handsome demon lord you have had a crush on since you were eight years of age.

"According to Sesshomaru, he heard her singing a beautiful song the other day, and had to inquire about Lady Kagura further."

Rin didn't really believe such a rumor, but could not inquire any further- their whispers were interrupted by Susumu's entrance with Onigumo. They both bowed deeply, along with the rest of the room.

"Let us dine," Lady Susumu announced as the servants set dishes and chopsticks in front of each guest at the table.

Rin didn't really catch much of the conversation between the noble demons- whether because they spoke softly or because she was distracted was up for debate. What she did catch were the glances Sesshomaru offered Kagura with his magenta lined eyes. Rin was no expert, of course, but she could tell that more than one thoughtful look from Sesshomaru meant something more than his usual boredom. What Rin would give to be the subject of Sesshomaru's gaze!

Though Toki knew of Rin's affection for Sesshomaru, it didn't stop him from wanting to laugh on the humorous expressions he was seeing cross her face from his place. He could almost feel the jealousy emanating from the human girl in front of him- making him genuinely wonder if any of the other servants or guards were noticing. It's not like he could do anything about it when dinner was in full swing. Guards were prized only when silent. But it wouldn't hurt if he mentioned to Rin after dinner that she was putting on quite the comedy… that might earn him a square slap from said human. So… maybe he would just take to laughing in his head at the non-verbal expense of his friend.

Rin didn't miss the more frequent glances Kagura gave to Sesshomaru, quite often making a point to bat her perfect long eyelashes at him and let her perfectly red eyes glisten at him. She was perfectly demon, and perfectly perfect for Sesshomaru.

Once all of the food had been eaten and the conversation had died, Sesshomaru invited Lord Onigumo into his chambers to discuss a private matter.

The whole room knew what the private matter was.

"This was a lovely time, my lady," Kagura stated, clearly elated as to what her father and Sesshomaru were surely discussing.

"It has been wonderful, Lady Susumu. I must excuse myself now," Prince Kouga bowed to his hostess and left the room with his personal servants and guard.

"Well, Lady Kagura, why don't we retire for tea in my rooms?" Lady Susumu suggested, waving for her attendants, including Rin.

The whole procession of female servants and male guards exited after them and trailed behind the two ladies to Susumu's rooms.

Once inside and away from the male guard's eyes, Susumu called Rin to her and asked that she pick a kimono for the rest of the night so that she could change into something more comfortable.

Rin and another servant came in with Rin's suggestion and proceeded to change Lady Susumu.

Once dressed, Lady Kagura admired the simpler choices. "Your servant has quite the eye, Lady Susumu."

"Yes, she does," Lady Susumu complimented Rin. "She has been doing this since she was a young girl, and took over upon her predecessor's death."

Rin bowed her head, embarrassed, and showed her gratitude in silence - just like the maid she was brought up to be.

"No need to be modest, child. You are particularly good with kimono," Susumu complimented again, and added, "Would you like to borrow her talents, Lady Kagura? I'm sure I could manage a day without her."

Kagura looked Rin over with her perpetually red eyes and said, "I should use her to pick out my kimono and kosode for my… _upcoming ceremony_."

Rin felt a pang of jealousy forming in her heart, and wished to be excused with all of her internal might.

Lady Susumu smiled, approving of Kagura's little hint. "Precisely. Child," she addressed Rin, "you are free to go."

Rin bowed to the pair of royal demonesses and left with as much grace as she could muster. Once down the hall and out of the guards' sight, she ran to her room in the far corner of the compound. She let her girlish tears run down her cheeks after she slid the door closed and dropped to her pathetic sleeping mat.

She knew there was no chance for her in Sesshomaru's life. She was a simple orphaned human girl. She was a mere maid and servant to his noble family. But she had felt love for him since she was a little girl, newly orphaned and alone in the world.

* * *

><p>An: Hello! Thanks for taking the time to read this story! Please tell me what you think, I always love those reviews. Updates should be pretty regular- almost the entire story has been written. Also, this whole fic will be based around _'Song to the Siren'_ by This Mortal Coil, who covered it from Tim Buckley.

Please also take time to visit **pammazola, **who is my wonderful beta and whose stories are_ amazing_.


	2. Chapter 2

"Rin? Rin, wake up," a fellow servant called to the sleeping human.

She quickly woke and rubbed the post-tear goop out of her eyes. "What is wrong?"

The maid pulled Rin up with her superior demon strength and threw her daily work yukata at her. "Lady Susumu wishes you to go pick out her kimono as well as Lady Kagura's! You should have been there minutes ago!"

Rin jumped at the realization that she must have slept too long and dressed herself quickly, paying no mind to the maid in the room. Skipping her normal routine, Rin pulled her dark hair into a quick bun and ignored her growling stomach.

She sprinted through the hallways to Lady Susumu's quarters and almost collided with Prince Kouga on the way. Rin fell into a bow immediately and uttered many apologies, making the wolf demon laugh. He assured her that all was well. Thanking him as she rushed on, Rin almost fell when she came around a sharp corner to the front of Susumu's rooms. She had startled the two guards on duty, but once they realized it was only the human maid, they relaxed and let her through without question.

"There you are," Lady Susumu carried a chastising tone, standing before Rin's bowed form. "We have been waiting much too long. Where have you been?"

Rin shrunk down further into the ground and replied, "I woke late, my lady."

A hum came from Susumu, who believed that Rin was telling the honest truth, but felt that something was amiss with the young woman she had seen grow up. "That is unusual for you. You are forgiven- however, do not make it a habit. I need your abilities greatly, as does Lady Kagura."

Rin stood and made her way over to the wardrobe - asking the normal daily questions as she picked out Lady Susumu's attire.

"Would you like a light summer kosode for your underclothes, my lady, for the convenience of your late morning walk? A salmon pink collar?" Rin thought aloud more than asked. It was a rare occasion for Susumu to disagree.

"Of course," the Lady said.

"As for the kimono… The forest grass is flourishing, my lady. A green to match it would be pleasing," Rin pulled out the pure green kimono with half-circles adorning the sleeves with a patterned emerald green on the hem and collar.

"Perfect, as always," Susumu complimented the choices, "And which obi?"

"A darker pink - to match the late-blooming wildflowers, my lady," Rin replied as some of the other maids dressed Susumu. Once she was clothed properly and the waist of the kimono was folded for her smaller height, Rin sidled next to her lady and began to tie the obi.

"A good match to my natural mood," Susumu looked herself over in one of the few mirrors to be had in the Western Lands. "And what should we have for Lady Kagura, Rin?"

Rin wandered over to the open traveling wardrobe and picked out a sea foam green kosode with light circle patterns. She rifled through the kimonos, one-by-one, and finally came across one that was white with a red traditional tie pattern. Rin plucked a simple yellow obi to offset the other colors and was rewarded with indirect praise from Susumu.

"Oh, Lady Kagura! This is most magnificent on you- like it is your destined outfit!" Susumu walked circles around the visiting demoness, making sure everything was perfect.

Kagura smiled at her reflection in the mirror and shot her red eyes to Rin, who stood in the background with her head down. "Your skills have been proven to me, Rin."

With that, Kagura plucked two strands of teal beaded earrings and outfit herself with them. Two maids came behind her and styled her hair in a complex bun and stuck a white feathery ornament in it- which was a beautiful contrast with her pitch black hair.

"Thank you for your maids' services, my lady," Kagura bowed to Susumu as she said, "I must meet with my father this morning. I trust that I'll see you at dinner?"

Susumu replied with an affirmative and bowed back. Once Kagura had left, she turned to Rin and said, "Something must have really upset you, Rin. Usually I do not have to hear the incessant growls of your stomach in the mornings while you dress me."

Rin blushed and found herself staring at her toes for what felt like the millionth time that morning. "It was a nightmare, my lady. And oversleeping from it caused me to skip breakfast."

"Go feed yourself," Susumu waved her elegant claws at her, effectively dismissing Rin.

* * *

><p>After a much needed but late breakfast, Rin had nothing to do. It was a rare and glorious occasion for Rin, who was normally flitting about to change her lady and her guests as well as being in charge of cleaning the high-quality kimonos. She had finished her workload the day before and wouldn't have anything more to clean until the next morning.<p>

Freedom, a thing Rin truly cherished, was welcomed with open arms.

Rin amused herself by walking through one of the gardens on the east side of the castle. She took time to admire the slowly wilting summer blooms, making a note in her head to begin shaking out the fall kimonos within the next couple of weeks.

Rin found herself singing yet again, letting the time of the day slip past her as she did so.

"_And you sang… Sail to me, sail to me…"_

Sesshomaru was hearing the voice again - the assumed voice of Kagura. It was the same song as the other day…

"_Let me enfold you."_

The song caught Sesshomaru off-guard and made him loose track of time and his duties. Ignoring the papers before him, Sesshomaru leapt out of the only window in the room and walked closer to Kagura's voice.

He was intercepted by Lord Onigumo - who inconveniently stepped right in the dog demon's path.

"You hear Kagura's voice, don't you?" the demon gestured toward the voice coming from around the bend of trees many yards away. "My daughter is practicing for you, my lord! Her shyness makes me ask you not to go any closer!"

Sesshomaru eyed the shorter demon with annoyance while he said with his menacing growl of a voice, "She will sing for me in person… before any ceremony takes place, Onigumo."

Onigumo hid the apprehension in his voice when he replied, "Of course, my lord! She only wishes to perfect her song beforehand!"

Sesshomaru gave one last golden glare to Onigumo before he turned on a heel and made his way back to his study - making a point to kick a rock and noting in his head that he would take this anger out on Jaken later.

"Father," Kagura sarcastically called from a window not too far off from Onigumo. "How could you make such a promise?"

"Shut it, Kagura!" Onigumo snapped, leaping into her room and glaring at the demoness. "You caught all of little Rin's song, right?"

Kagura sighed and sat on a comfy pillow, huffing as her posterior hit the ground. "Of course I did! It's such a silly song. How could a silly song like that possibly convince Sesshomaru that I am his intended? I can't even sing!"

Onigumo smirked at her then. He brushed his wavy black hair over his shoulder and gave Kagura a feral look as he sauntered over to her body. He knelt down before her and whispered against her neck, "You can't sing _yet_."

* * *

><p>Another ordeal called dinner came and passed, leaving a saddened Rin in its wake.<p>

Throughout the traditional early summer dinner, Rin could see the glances Sesshomaru afforded Kagura. His golden eyes rested on her for far too long and traveled in her direction far too often.

When Rin came back to Susumu to dress the ladies before dinner, she found that Kagura's obi had been untied and retied sloppily in a manner that mimicked a man's belt. This suggested almost exactly that she had slept with someone… sometime between breakfast and dinner. The only men she had been with today, Rin surmised, were her father and Sesshomaru.

Once Rin was dismissed, she swiftly walked to the outer gates of the fortress and sat on a patch of grass next to a bush of comforting flowers and continued to sulk. She could not find the serenity within herself to bask in the lingering heat from the day or to watch the sun slowly making its way over the distant ocean.

"Hello there," a smooth, deep voice said from behind Rin.

Startled, Rin jumped and swiftly turned her head to find a large figure wearing white fur and a mask speaking to her. "H-hello?" Rin said uncertainly, unable to keep the fear from her voice.

"My name is Naraku. There is no need to fear me, Rin."

Rin quirked an eyebrow, trying to see the parts of his face that were not covered by his monkey - or maybe it was a baboon- mask. She could see his normal-looking mouth, but through the eye holes she could clearly depict red demon eyes. Instead of scaring Rin, the red eyes put her at ease. Demons in her life had never seriously harmed her- only humans had by killing her mother, father, and brothers.

Before Rin could question Naraku, he continued, "I have seen the turmoil in your heart, Rin. I know your desires, your fears… I wish to help you attain what you find most unattainable."

Rin supplied sheepishly, "Sesshomaru?"

Naraku's visible mouth turned upwards into a leering smile. "Yes, Sesshomaru. He's never given you a second look, correct?"

Rin nodded in response, biting her lower lip.

"What if I could make you a perfect demon, Rin? Don't you think that he would see you then? He could love you like that, couldn't he?"

Rin's eyes began to sparkle with her dreams until Toki's voice sounded in her ears. "Rin! Rin? Who are you with?"

Rin stood to meet Toki, who had easily spotted her in the setting summer sun, and introduced him to Naraku.

Naraku did not like the interruption but figured he would just have to ignore the demon. "Rin, do you want to become a demon?"

Toki cried out an astounded, "What?"

Rin put a hand on Toki's arm to try and calm him and tried to reason with him,"Naraku is offering me a chance to become a demon, Toki. If I'm a demon, maybe Sesshomaru will-"

"Will what? Suddenly leave his intended for a random female he's never met before? Rin, you are fine as a human and you should stay that way!"

Rin gave him a harsh look and said with venom in her voice, "I want this! Even if it is far-fetched, I would have at least a little bit of a chance!"

Toki shook his head and placed his hand on Rin's shoulder, only to have it swatted away by the small girl.

"I've been longing for him for years, Toki! At least let me see if there is any hope so I can lay it to rest…" Rin plead with her whole heart, using her brown eyes to express her emotional state.

Toki, who saw Rin as his sister, sighed and turned to the demon in the baboon mask, "Can she turn back, Naraku?"

"That's part of the deal."

"Deal?" Toki asked. "What do you want in return then? Every deal gives and receives."

"I ask for payment -"

"I don't have any money…" Rin interposed sadly.

Naraku smiled, and gestured to nothing with his hands while he spoke, "I do not ask for money, Rin. I ask for something much more trivial, much simpler."

"Her first born?" Toki asked, with his face and voice flat.

Naraku's fur literally ruffled with an annoyed tic and said with no infliction,"No-"

"Her virginity?" This comment earned Toki a smack from Rin, who was feeling a blush creeping up her neck.

"What do you want in return?" Rin asked, eyeing Toki to make sure he would not cut in.

Naraku's head tilted slightly, giving Rin a better look at his red eyes. He spoke with a smoother voice than ever before, "I want your voice, Rin."

Rin was stricken for a moment, taking in his answer with all seriousness. "My voice? How will I be able to talk… or to sing?"

"You won't be able to, Rin. But, you will be a demon. A pretty, desirable, powerful, perfect demon," Naraku drawled, his voice seeming even smoother than before, almost the material of dreams.

"I'll trade it," Rin answered without much thought, resolution filling every part of her voice.

"Hold on, are there any other parts to this deal?" Toki asked, not quite trusting the baboon-masked demon.

"Of course, I can't just make her a demon and let that be that. It is not how things work. I will take your voice, and turn you into a demoness. You then have three sunrises to get Sesshomaru to fall in love with you." Toki was about to interject, but Naraku waved him off. "If you fail to receive his love, you will turn back into a human and become my own personal slave."

"Rin, you can't! If you fail-"

Toki was abruptly cut off by Rin saying, "If I fail, the only person to care would be you, Toki. I should take this chance afforded to me."

Toki sighed and ruffled her bangs like she was a five year old. "Then I guess all I can do is to try and help you, no matter how much I don't like this."

Rin smiled while she fixed her mussed hair and turned her face back to Naraku. "Do it, then."

Because of the flash of light emitting from a small pink ball in the demon's hand, they did not see the particularly nefarious smirk on the masked demon's face.

* * *

><p>An: Thanks so much for the kind words on the last chapter! I hope this lives up to your expectations.


	3. Chapter 3

Rin?

Toki looked around him, only to find himself in the barracks, laid on his own mat. He looked to his right to find one of his fellow guards standing just outside the door and got up to ask him how he had gotten to bed last night.

"Lord Onigumo brought you to the castle, actually. He said that he'd found you passed out in a garden or something and passed you along to me. Did you drink a lot yesterday, or what?" the guard asked, questioning him with a lazy look.

"I guess I did…" Toki lied. Thankful that his buddy had left him in his clothes, Toki quickly made his way back to the sight where he last remembered seeing Rin.

* * *

><p>Rin was being awakened by a soft, familiar voice. She felt around her, and was surprised to not find the blankets that were normally wrapped around her in the early mornings. She instead felt grass, and silk beneath her, and then opened her eyes. She quickly shut them again; the pain from the bright sun had almost caused her to cry out.<p>

"Hello, young lady?" the feminine voice called again. This time, Rin felt a sharp claw poking her cheek.

Rin sat up and held her head from the dizziness that plagued her.

She remembered the night before quite suddenly, and braved opening her eyes to find Lady Susumu uncharacteristically squatted down before her.

"Are you alright?" Susumu asked. Rin saw more warmth in her expression in that instant than she had ever seen from the woman in her life.

Rin tried to speak, but found her voice gone. So it did happen last night! She couldn't decide whether to be happy or concerned at the moment.

Then, she saw Sesshomaru standing to her left.

Rin motioned to her throat, trying to convey that she couldn't answer.

Sesshomaru had spotted the girl some distance off during his morning walk with his mother, and was pretty uninterested until he saw her dark hair and feet. Usually details disregarded by anyone else, but those two features were the only clues to the woman whose voice captivated him. He had assumed that both belonged to Kagura, the only plausible lady on the grounds beside his mother, but now he doubted his hasty deduction.

He watched with great curiosity when his mother questioned the girl and found her to be mute.

Obviously, his curiosity was wasted. The woman who enchanted him could sing. Kagura claimed to be the one he heard, but he had yet to actually hear a rendition from her in person.

"Oh, you poor thing! You must be a victim from an attack nearby!" Susumu fussed over the young woman. "I can smell a royal demon bloodline in you! Were you and your party on your way here?"

Rin decided that it would be easiest to go with Susumu's conclusions and nodded.

"You must be another suitable demoness here for Sesshomaru! Oh, my dear, he has already chosen a bride!" Susumu despaired for her newfound charge despite her mild like for Kagura.

Rin bit her lip, only deepening Susumu's sudden attachment to her.

"Sesshomaru, come help her up!" Susumu ordered, picking herself up and swiping the grass off of her maroon kimono.

Sesshomaru did not feel like arguing with his overzealous mother and stepped closer to Rin and extended his hand to her.

Rin blushed and took his hand, not expecting the gentle but powerful help he gave her to stand.

When he let go, she almost fell over her own feet and her blush deepened. Susumu saw this and said, "Sesshomaru, help her back to the fortress! She must be too traumatized to even walk!"

_Not really_, thought Rin, she was just not used to the incredible new power surging from her legs. But she would take any help afforded by Sesshomaru…

He exhaled and bent to slip his right hand under her arms and his left arm under her knees. In a quick move Rin was sure she would not have been able to follow if she were still human, Sesshomaru lifted her and began to walk next to his mother straight back to the fortress.

On the way, Susumu thought about how odd it was that Sesshomaru was willingly helping the young demoness with no protest. His manner has changed in the last few days…

"My Lord! My Lady!" exclaimed a hurried voice from behind them as they neared the fortress. "My lady, have you seen your servant Rin this morning?" Toki asked, not seeing the woman in Sesshomaru's arms because of the abundant mokomoko.

"No, I have not. She told me yesterday that she was having upsetting dreams - so I figured that she was sleeping late, the silly girl. What has you so riled over her?" Susumu asked, turning and growing worried over the expression of the guard called Toki.

"She is missing, my lady," Toki admitted, sighing in defeat.

At this point, Sesshomaru had stopped to turn and see the interruption. This was the very guard that was with the demoness when she sang in the garden, he realized.

The demoness in his arms tugged on Sesshomaru's sleeve, trying to convey that she wanted to be put down. Sesshomaru got the hint and lowered her to the ground, steadying her to make sure that she could walk.

Rin stood and walked slowly, trying not to fall over from her own strength again. She came up beside Toki, who was turned toward Susumu and was speaking with her about her own whereabouts. Rin tapped his shoulder politely and waited for recognition to come to his face.

Once he realized significance in her look and caught on to her not wanting the royals to know her true identity, Toki embraced her against his better sense.

When they pulled apart, Susumu questioned Toki, "Do you know this demoness?"

Toki quickly read Rin's intentions as best as he could and replied, "Yes, my lady. She is a friend from my childhood home."

"So she is a water demon then? Makes sense from the salt I smell on her," Susumu gave the demoness another once over and paid particular attention to her shabby brown yukata. "What is her name?"

Toki, on the spot, used the name of one of his many aunts, "Her name is Nanami, my lady. Her father is the brother of the sea king and a general in his army."

"Nanami, hmmm? Well, Lady Nanami, let us get you to the bath and into some better clothes?" Susumu's interest peaked and prompted her to herd the younger woman once again toward the fortress.

Without a word, Sesshomaru turned and continued to walk back with the two, leaving Toki to worry for Rin in their wake.

* * *

><p>"Lady Nanami, you have such beautiful hair," Susumu complimented Rin as the 'water-demoness' was having her scalp scrubbed and scented by a bathhouse servant. "It shows your lineage - that hair so black it shines blue. And eyes so deeply red they could rival fire!"<p>

Rin smiled, taking Susumu's fervent praise. In the bath, she was discovering many new things about her changed body. Her reflection told her that her eyes were indeed red now, and that her hair was darker than before, as well as smoother and straighter.

Upon further inspection, Rin found her formerly dull nails to be sharply pointed and slightly blue in color. On her neck and hips there were blue swirling lines, mimicking waves and the ocean. Around her eyes there were sets of aqua colored lines to offset the redness of her irises. It seemed that her skin had also changed and was unfathomably flawless and had a paler tone in it.

Once the servant was done cleaning her hair, Rin found two perfectly pointed ears sticking out from her wet hair. It was perfectly nonhuman.

"You asked for me, my lady?" a familiar voice asked from the side of the bath.

"Yes, Lady Kagura. I found this magnificent young lady this morning, and it seems that she has lost her companions and possessions. Would you mind helping me outfit her?" Susumu asked while wringing out her long silver hair.

"Of course. What might I call you?" Kagura asked, unabashedly looking over the nude Rin.

"Her name is Nanami and she cannot speak, dear. But a guard happened to be familiar with her and introduced us after we had found her. She is the sea king's niece," Susumu said. She then gave curt orders to the maids to have Rin, or Nanami, dried and dressed in a light kosode.

After being dried and partially dressed, the maids proceeded to comb out her long dark hair and style it simply, leaving the most of it down.

Kagura and Susumu came in after searching their closets with a couple of maids carrying lavish kimonos in summery colors.

Susumu studied Rin's coloring and compared the choices in her head. Sighing, she commented, "It's too bad that my best kimono dresser isn't anywhere to be found, Lady Nanami. She has the best eye for kimono and the best hands for tying obi. I suppose we'll just have to make due…"

Kagura stayed back, not sure as to what she felt for the girl and completely sure that she couldn't tell a winter kimono from a summer yukata.

"What do you think of this pale blue kimono, Lady Nanami? It would go well with your demon marks," Susumu saw Rin's nod of approval and the servants immediately set to work on draping it over her small body and adjusting it for her smaller stature.

Rin admired the garb, truly feeling like the princess she was masquerading as. She picked the dark purple obi and had to hold back a cringe as one of the maids clumsily tied the knot behind her.

"Lady Susumu, you have set a lunch appointment with Lord Onigumo. Do you wish to cancel it?" a retainer asked from the sliding door entrance.

"Oh dear! Lady Nanami, your beauty has made me neglect the time!" Susumu jokingly chided as she gave her final approval to the maids about Rin's attire. "No, Jaken. Lady Kagura and I will make our way to him now. Take Lady Nanami to Sesshomaru and tell him that I have charged him with her entertainment."

"Yes, my lady," the toad demon bowed as Susumu and Kagura exited. After they were well out of sight, he raised his head to take in the demoness before him. She was a beauty, as Susumu suggested, but was barely a woman- just past her childhood. Sighing because of his new babysitting position, Jaken gestured for Nanami to follow him through a labyrinth of hallways and foyers.

Rin followed Jaken into a part of the fortress she had never ventured into before. Her work as a dresser and washer had never made this wing necessary, and from what she caught from guards and other servants Sesshomaru liked as little disturbances around his chambers as possible.

Somehow Rin was getting the picture that she would likely not be welcomed by Sesshomaru here.

They came to a halt in front of yet another door, and Jaken bowed lower than he had for Susumu and Kagura. After a moment, the green imp said with his annoying squeaky voice, "My Lord? Your most honorable mother has trusted me with delivering Lady Nanami to you, in hopes that you would entertain her while your most honorable mother is at lunch with Lord Onigumo!"

To Rin, the toad sounded frazzled and frightened. Was Lord Sesshomaru really worth all of this formality and fuss? Did he really demand such of his servants? Rin really did not know for sure- the nature of her work really only made her familiar with the females in the castle and bowing like the toad was usually reserved for greeting the royal family at dinner.

A long moment passed before the sliding door abruptly opened, revealing an annoyed looking Sesshomaru, who glared daggers at the green servant kneeling at his bare feet.

"And why, Jaken, did mother feel the need to burden me?" Sesshomaru's voice stayed flat, but even the deaf could tell of the coldness in his voice.

"She did not specify, my lord! Please do not kill me!" Jaken squeaked, trying to become one with the floor while bowing.

A sound, which Rin was sure she would not have been able to hear as a human, came from Sesshomaru's throat and was apparently the signal for Jaken to scurry away faster than Rin thought possible.

"Are you dumb, too?" the dog-demon's voice came from the depths of the study.

Rin was startled and shook her head, realizing that she had stayed to watch Jaken run away for longer than she had thought. She hesitantly stepped into the room and slid the door back into place behind her. She stood there for a moment, trying to decide if she should awkwardly stand there or go sit on one of the pillows near her long-time idol.

Sesshomaru answered her internal battle by running his golden gaze from her face to the pillow mere feet away from where he sat reading.

She sat with as much grace as she could muster, not used to the heavy silk and extravagant layers and ties covering her body. Once she was settled on her knees like a real lady, she began to click her sharp nails together nervously.

"You are called Nanami, correct?"

Rin nodded, feeling a blush rising once again up her neck. She felt bad for lying to him, but this was all a part of the plan, the deal. Her only hope.

He read for a few minutes more, but finally pushed the material away with a heavy sigh. "Have you always been mute?" he asked, shifting his eyes from the characters to her face.

She nodded the affirmative again.

To this, he sighed once more. She really could not be the singer, then. If only Kagura would prove her claims…

He heard Nanami shift and turned his face back to hers; he said with more jocularity than she had ever heard in his voice, "I suppose I could tell you all of my deepest secrets. You are a much better companion than anyone else in this fortress."

Rin smiled, and felt the breath leave her in the manner much like a laugh. But with no voice, no laugh was heard.

"I wish I could ask for your… womanly opinion of Kagura…" he said - and was surprised to see Nanami's face twist into a grimace."I interpret that you do not think highly of her?" he asked with no animosity in his voice. Nanami blushed and lowered her eyes, giving him the impression that she was embarrassed to 'speak' badly of his intended mate. "I don't think much of her either."

She looked up sharply and tilted her head in confusion. Why? Her expression asked.

"I believe her to be a liar and a flatterer," he almost sneered at the thought. If Kagura didn't prove that she was the one voice he pined for, he would break off the pending ceremony and alliance without a second thought.

Rin bit her lip, trying to justify with herself what she was doing. Surly if everything went smoothly, Sesshomaru would never find out that she was lying to him. What he said next put even more ease into Rin's heart.

"She told me that she could sing like a siren I once thought I heard. She has yet to prove it, and if she doesn't soon- I will break off all ties with her and her father."

Sesshomaru really was infatuated with Kagura because of her voice? Rin was suddenly thrust into a flurry of thoughts about the grave mistake she might have made by trading her voice. If only she could sing for him now! If only she had taken the rumors told to her by Toki as facts!

But… what if Kagura's voice was better than her own? Then being turned into a demoness would not even matter in the first place.

"Lady Nanami?" A servant's voice was suddenly heard from behind the troubled human-turned-demoness, startling her so much she jumped. The servant, not wanting to embarrass her lord's guest, went on, "Would you like to have lunch as well? And tea?"

Rin nodded to both and reveled in being served. In her whole life, she had never been served like this.

A couple of kitchen servants brought in low mini-tables for Sesshomaru and Nanami and set their dishes, steaming and giving off a delectable aroma, in front of them. They were also given ivory chopsticks and freshly brewed tea.

Rin took in the scent and had to stop herself from devouring the meal before her like a rabid dog. She waited, like she had seen Lady Susumu and Lady Kagura do, until Sesshomaru took his first bite.

They ate mostly in silence - only interrupted by the servants refilling their teacups and clearing their dishes and tables away.

"Do you know much of combat and strategy, Nanami?" Sesshomaru asked not long after the servants had slid the door behind them after exiting.

Rin shook her head negatively, hoping female water-demons were not supposed to be particularly war-adept.

Fortunately for Rin, Sesshomaru was in an instructive mood and went into great detail about the current events of the Western Lands.

* * *

><p>It was nearing dinner time when Sesshomaru let his 'instruction' come to a close. He had shown Nanami maps and letters relating to the subjects he touched on and found the water-demoness to have quite a keen and willing mind. Although she was unable to ask questions aloud, she formed a system comprised of pointing and body language to speak her words instead.<p>

Nanami was better company than Kagura, who spoke often and loud.

"My lord?" called the voice of the toad demon from beyond the sliding door. "Dinner is to be served before the hour of the setting sun, and Lady Susumu has asked that you and Lady Nanami join her for it."

"Yes, Jaken," Sesshomaru said, easily standing from his position on the floor. He graciously extended his clawed hand to Nanami, offering his assistance.

Rin had a moment to eye the magenta stripes on his wrist before fitting her much smaller hand into his and feeling his power effortlessly bring her up to stand. She adjusted the hem on the front of her kimono before following Sesshomaru out of the room and past the bowing toad demon.

Upon reaching the dining room both Sesshomaru and Nanami were bowed to by the awaiting servants and shown to their respective seats.

Rin was thankful to be seated to the left of Sesshomaru, but was apprehensive about the empty seat on her other side. A few short minutes later, the ladies strolled in, followed closely by Lord Onigumo. Lord Onigumo was seated on the other side of Rin, giving her a little ease. She would have preferred Lady Susumu or Prince Kouga at her other side - but Lord Onigumo was a better choice than Kagura any day.

Once seated, Susumu told Onigumo, "You are seated next to my guest, Lord Onigumo. She hails from the Water Kingdom and is called Lady Nanami. Isn't she the beauty?"

"Yes," replied Onigumo with the raspy voice he had on the best of days. "You are quite beautiful, my lady," he turned his head toward her and nodded in her direction, making Rin feel like she was prey about to be eaten.

"Unfortunately, she is also mute, father," Kagura added. No one in the room missed her tone of dislike.

"So unfortunate," he hissed, keeping his greedy red eyes on Nanami's face. "You give the impression to have a lovely voice - to complement your lovely face."

"I'm sure she would have had a beautifully melodious voice, Lord Onigumo," Lady Susumu agreed, ignoring his blatant stares at her guest.

Rin, feeling overpowered by Onigumo's stare, turned back to the table and waited patiently for the tea and food to be served. When the kitchen servants finally put their plates before each guest at the table and Sesshomaru had taken his first bite, Onigumo finally turned his red eyes away from Rin.

* * *

><p>An: Hello again! I hope you've enjoyed this chapter. My favorite part of this chapter to write has been writing the talkative character of Rin without having her talk.

As a side note, I've found a lot of roots for this story within classic tales.


	4. Chapter 4

"My lord," Onigumo stood and bowed to Sesshomaru once the dishes had been cleared. "My daughter would like to present you with a gift - she would like to perform for you."

Sesshomaru, from the side view Rin saw of him, seemed pleased, and nodded to Kagura.

The wind sorceress stood and bowed to the room, and then started her song. _"On the floating, ship less oceans…I did all my best to smile…."_

Toki's face met Rin's - showing his concern over Kagura. This was Rin's song! How would Kagura know it- much less be able to sing it?

"_Until your singing eyes and fingers…drew me loving into your isle. And you sang: 'Sail to me, sail to me…Let me enfold you.'"_

Toki's expression of horror matched that of Rin's. She was singing with Rin's voice! He knew; he absolutely _knew_ that Rin should not have taken that Naraku's deal!

Kagura, who sang with the maid's voice but lacked Rin's sincerity, continued to harmonize, _"Here I am, here I am waiting to hold you."_

Kagura had sickeningly locked her red eyes onto Sesshomaru, _"Did I dream you dreamed about me? Were you here when I was flotsam?"_

She stopped here, confusing Rin. There was another half of the song yet to be sung! It didn't end there!In fact, Rin even had yet to compose the rest of the song!

Could Kagura have heard Rin singing the song and only have heard that much of it? She gripped her teacup tightly, wishing it was Kagura's vocal chords she held in her grasp.

"That was stunning, Lady Kagura! How could you have kept that beautiful voice from us for so long?" Lady Susumu openly praised the demoness.

Kagura only smiled at the question, and then turned her gaze back to Sesshomaru to say, "Am I all that you expected, my lord?"

Before Sesshomaru could answer, the teacup in Rin's hands finally gave way to the pressure she was inflicting on it and shattered, quickly filling the dining room with the scent of fresh blood.

A maid quickly hopped up and pressed a spare bit of material to the gash on Nanami's palm, soaking up as much blood as she could.

Rin ducked her head again, embarrassed to have broken one of her hostess's fine teacups.

Susumu caught onto her embarrassment and said, "No worries, Lady Nanami. It is only a teacup. Why don't we go back to my chambers and have you cleaned up?"

Nanami could not protest - and really did not want to. Whatever got her blushing face away from Sesshomaru and away from the triumphant Kagura.

A few minutes later, Rin sat on one of the pieces of furniture adorning Lady Susumu's rooms and watched as her hand miraculously healed itself before her eyes. A maid was cleaning the blood from her palm and wrist, as well as the few drops that had landed on her silk kimono.

Susumu sat across from her and spoke once the maid had scurried away with the bloody rags, "There is much reason to be frustrated, Lady Nanami, I understand that."

Rin looked up and gave the dog demoness a questioning look.

"If only you had arrived a few days before Lady Kagura. It would have given you a better chance at my son. However, he seems to be taken with Lady Kagura's voice for whatever strange reason. It is a beautiful voice, mind you, but to choose a bride merely for her vocal ability seems silly to me…" Susumu sighed and reclined in her seat. "But he seems to like you just fine, as do I… And I know he hates every other part of Kagura! And I must admit that the only reason I liked her was for the sake of grandchildren and my son's happiness."

Rin was surprised that Lady Susumu was openly sharing this with her, but was completely grateful that she was. If only Naraku had come to Rin earlier! But, Rin thought, Naraku must be connected with Kagura. Naraku took her voice, and now Kagura suddenly has it. Too bad she had no idea how to find Naraku…

"Lady Nanami, I think I have joined your cause," Susumu said, startling Rin.

Rin must have missed something while she was thinking…

Susumu, who caught her startled look, elaborated, "I am on your side. I will try my very best to get you my son. I like you much better than Kagura. And no father here to worry about! I must confess that Lord Onigumo puts me on edge."

Rin's eyes went wide, and then registering that she now had a powerful ally, she smiled at her elder. If only she could tell her how messed up this whole situation was!

"Now, there are a few things you must know about my son if you are set on earning his affection…"

* * *

><p>"Your room, Lady Nanami," the toad demon, Jaken, bowed before Rin and ushered her into the room. "Is it to your liking?" he asked, eyeing the mute demoness.<p>

Rin was twirling around like a young child basking in the princess room she could call hers. The sleeping mat was finer than any she had even been allowed to touch and the furniture made Rin smile even more. An empty wardrobe sat in the corner waiting to be filled with Lady Susumu's spare dressings. A vanity was equipped with hair ornaments and makeup just asking Rin to come over and play.

Rin turned to Jaken and nodded enthusiastically, giving the toad a small like for the girl.

"The maids will assist you now," Jaken bowed again and waddled out of the room, sliding the door behind him.

The female servants came to dress her in a sleeping yukata and folded the elaborate kimono from dinner up and took it away. Another maid combed out her hair and braided it for sleep after she was dressed in the white yukata.

"Lady Nanami," a maid who Rin recognized said, "If you should need service in the night, just ring the bell." The maid put the golden bell on a low table near the sleeping mat and bowed.

The others bowed as well and left Rin by herself.

Rin blew out all of the candles but one and settled herself on her sleeping mat, covering her body with the abundant layers of blankets to ward off the chill of the night. She blew out her final candle and slept.

Rin, who still was not used to utilizing her demon senses, didn't see the golden eyes watching her or smell the dog demon standing just inside of the room.

Sesshomaru marveled at Nanami's ability to fall asleep for a moment and then made his way over to the sleeping water demon. He gazed at the side of her face and neck which was left exposed from the blankets. He traced the blue swirls on her neck and watched the lines around her eyes as she slept, blissfully unaware of his presence.

He thought about how he would have treated Nanami if she had only come a week earlier…

* * *

><p>Rin, Nanami to her maids, was given the royal treatment that next morning. The maids brought a hot and delicious meal to her right out of bed, which Rin all but devoured on sight. She was given a kimono from Kagura's wardrobe- the very one Rin had washed only a couple of days ago- with the golden hem and an elegant pattern of pink flowers. Rin picked out a light yellow obi and tied the knot herself, surprising the servants attending to her. Figuring it was better to let the demoness do it herself they let it go and continued with the morning routine. Once Rin's hair had been combed and styled into a youthful style and a white flower had been placed at the top of her head, Rin made her way out of her room.<p>

"Rin, ah, Lady Nanami! Wait, please!" Rin turned to find Toki jogging behind her, trying to catch up with her. "Did you and Sesshomaru, you know?" he almost blushed as he asked the question.

Rin was confused for a moment, then registered his meaning and shook her head no. She asked with her eyes why he would ask or assume that.

"I was your door guard last night…. Sometime in the early hours of the morning, Sesshomaru less-than-secretly slipped out of your room and gave me a nasty look. Like a threat. And you smell strongly of him as well," he explained while he took a deep sniff of Rin. Although his nose was not as keen as the land-based demons, he could easily pick up on the strong essence of Sesshomaru all over Rin.

Rin was alarmed at first before she remembered that she wore one of Kagura's kimonos. Since Rin had come to the conclusion that they had slept together, Rin brushed off the whole scent thing. The reminder of their relationship once again visibly saddened Rin, causing Toki to worry.

Before he could say anything more to her, Lady Susumu and Lord Sesshomaru turned the corner into the hallway, causing both of them to stop and bow.

"Lady Nanami, why don't you join us this morning?" Susumu asked. Her smile faltered for a moment once she smelled Nanami- or more like smelled Sesshomaru on Nanami. She accusingly looked at Sesshomaru, but decided to question him later. She turned back to Nanami who rose from her bow and nodded a yes while smiling. Susumu finally got to see her raiment for the day and smiled. Gold was Sesshomaru's favorite color- and Nanami was wearing it strongly but subtly, just like she had suggested the night before. "You look stunning, as always, Lady Nanami. Wouldn't you agree, Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru made an ambiguous noise in his throat- which Susumu took to be a positive considering his scent on Nanami.

The three went on their way, leaving a worried water demon behind. Sesshomaru led his mother and Rin outside and around the well-walked perimeter of the enclosed fortress. Rin saw her fellow servants cleaning garments outside - no doubt struggling to make up for her absence.

Susumu noted Nanami's lingering gaze on the servants cleaning outside and confirmed Rin's guilty thoughts. "One of our human servants went missing the night before your arrival, Lady Nanami. The dresser I told you of yesterday? They are scurrying about to make up for her…" Susumu clucked her tongue on her teeth, feeling worried for the girl she had seen grow in the fortress. "Sesshomaru," she spoke to the silent demon a few paces ahead of them, "You sent out the guards to search for her, yes?"

"Yes. They came back with nothing, mother," he answered. He did not really concern himself with the servants, especially the human ones. Their lives were so fleeting anyway.

"Such a shame. She really was my favorite dresser I've had in my long life. I hope she merely ran away as opposed to getting herself killed! I suppose I'll have to send Jaken to find me a new one," Susumu patted her lower lip with her claw as they continued, no doubt mourning the loss of a good servant.

When they came back to where they had started their morning walk, Sesshomaru began to wander away from the two. Susumu caught him before he got far and said, "Take Lady Nanami with you, Sesshomaru. I have business to attend to."

With that, she slyly winked at Rin and swiftly made herself scarce before her son could protest.

Sesshomaru stopped walking for a moment, turned his head slightly to Nanami, and kept walking.

Rin followed easily, starting to get used to the walk to his study. Sesshomaru sat in the same spot as the day before, prompting Rin to do the same.

After a few long minutes of silence, Rin got up to study the painting behind her. It depicted a large, magnificent dog flying through a cloudy sky. Rin found herself staring at the painting for a long time and was mildly startled when Sesshomaru spoke from right behind her ear.

"This is my father," he said slowly, letting his warm breath touch her ear and neck. His large right hand gently guided hers to feel the brush strokes of the painting.

Rin was surprised to find that the painting felt warm and almost daunting. She tilted her head, indicting she wanted to question him.

He explained, "This painting holds a bit of his demonic energy, just like the Tenseiga." He guided her to touch the hilt of the sword that always was tied in his belt and amused himself by watching her face show her astonishment at the energy she felt radiating through the sword.

Rin had always seen the sword at his side, whether he was in armor or not like he was now, but she had never seen him wield it. Although Rin was sure she had no idea how to measure the power she felt, she was sure this sword could be a formidable enemy. When she realized that she had been marveling over the sword for far too long to be appropriate, Rin blushed and pried her hand away from the sword, staring at Sesshomaru's clawed toes in embarrassment.

Sesshomaru was amused by her coyness and relieved her by turning and sitting back in his spot.

Rin had just enough time to sit and relax before Prince Kouga was announced at the door.

The leader of the wolf tribe sat without much ceremony before Sesshomaru and greeted Nanami warmly. After giving her a sly smile, he asked Sesshomaru, "Can I speak freely in front of your guest?"

"To a point, Kouga. Do not be vulgar," Sesshomaru said in a monotonous voice, never looking up from the characters he seemed to be immersed in. "Lady Nanami can keep a secret like a dead man."

Kouga laughed while he said, "Is that a joke I hear? And at poor Lady Nanami's cost!"

Rin smiled, showing that she was not the least bit offended.

"Well, to get to the point, Sesshomaru… You know I hate this pending alliance with Onigumo. I don't trust the man or his damned daughter! My closest advisors-"

"You mean your lackeys? Hakkaku and Ginta, I believe?"

Kouga huffed at the insult and continued, "They came with word from my elders, who say that if this alliance comes through, then they wish to cut off ties with the Western Lands. We are good friends, Sesshomaru, but I can't say that I don't agree. Onigumo has been power hungry and attacks without reason. He attacks various tribes and lords and takes their homes! He is only after this for power."

"I am only after his daughter for power," Sesshomaru commented, still sounding bored but no longer staring at the writing before him.

"You and I both know that to be untrue," Kouga stated flatly, shifting his eyes in Nanami's direction to make sure that she had not caught his meaning.

Rin interpreted his meaning of Kagura's voice to mean Kagura's body and shifted her eyes downward. The longer this masquerade went on, she thought, the farther away Sesshomaru seemed to drift away.

"Onigumo is a bastard and I don't trust him, Sesshomaru. I would like to stay in alliance with you, but I am in a tight spot here. If the elders do not wish to have the wolves associated with you, then I must comply," Kouga let his dangerously clawed hands come to rest on the table as he continued to stare at Sesshomaru with his deceivingly blue eyes. "Why not forget Kagura and your silly infatuation with her? Especially when you have this," he wildly gestured to Nanami, "Sitting right here, ready for the claim?"

While Rin blushed and slowly died from embarrassment, Sesshomaru arched an eyebrow at the wolf prince.

"I could have your head for insulting not only me, but my guest," he gave the wolf demon a chilling glare.

This did not intimidate Kouga, who answered, "You could, but you wouldn't. At least consider it some more, Sesshomaru. I am sorry for causing you trouble, Lady Nanami." Kouga bowed low to Nanami and headed out of the room, leaving Sesshomaru and Nanami in silence.

Sesshomaru did not stay long in silence. He mulled over Kouga's words before raising a clawed hand to lift Nanami's red face to look at his.

"You came here to present yourself as a suitable mate, correct?"

Rin nodded a positive slowly, not sure of what to call the expression on Sesshomaru's face.

He made a noise in his throat that Rin was becoming more and more familiar with that usually indicated that he had come to a conclusion, was annoyed, or was agreeing with something. Rin was left trying to figure out which one was the answer until dinner.

* * *

><p>AN: In case you didn't know, I am passionately in love with Kouga. Just so you know... you know, if you didn't catch onto my blatantly biased portrayal of him and his devastatingly good looks and charming personality.

Also, notice the rating change. (T-M) I forgot how... suggestive this was until going over this chapter again. This suggestiveness might progress, but I'll try to warn you all if it gets more intense than this chapter. Again, please visit **pammazola**, my beta with da mad writing skillz.


	5. Chapter 5

Lady Susumu knew something happened between her son and the mute water demoness. Though the two sat side by side, they never looked at each other. Once Susumu observed the permanent flush of Nanami's face, she knew it was something good that happened. Just like she had hoped and had begun to plan for.

Kagura must not have noticed, either from her pride or from her preoccupation with her sake, she went oblivious to the tension sitting in the dining room.

When Susumu was picking at the last bits of food left on her plate, she noticed a shift in the dynamic of the conversations being held. Kouga had been speaking with one of his ever-present lackeys but suddenly stopped. Susumu looked to her son and saw him push away his dish, then look up to her matching golden gaze.

Sesshomaru said after breaking their eye contact, "Lord Onigumo, I wish to postpone the ceremony for Lady Kagura to join my household."

Both Onigumo and Kagura abruptly stopped drinking. Onigumo slammed his cup down with both hands and exclaimed, "_What?_"

Susumu tried to stop the impending doom in the room by saying, "I think what my son means is that he needs more time to think about his assets and-"

"Mother," Sesshomaru cut her off with the word and a brief glance. "Lord Onigumo, I am unsure of the validity of your daughter as a plausible mate."

"You question my _validity_?" Kagura screeched, almost choking on the words.

"I am unsure of how this alliance might affect my other allegiances, and what you, Lord Onigumo, might demand of me and my lands. I also question the pureness of the heirs you would provide."

Rin could swear she heard a sound of victory from Prince Kouga but was deterred from finding out by the slap she received from Onigumo.

The sound of Nanami's cheek echoed through the room for a moment, accompanied by the ragged breathing of Onigumo.

Susumu stood to exclaim with her sharp canines bared, "How dare you?" She came around to Onigumo's place and picked him up from the front of his silk haori. "Whatever Sesshomaru decides, I want you out of my home _tonight_!"

"How dare I, Lady Susumu? Do you not see what has happened? You should ask, how dare she?" he pointed a sharp nail in Nanami's direction, turning his face away from Susumu's dangerous fangs. "That little wench has obviously seduced your son to turn him from Kagura!"

If it weren't for the searing pain radiating in Rin's left cheek, she would have felt guilty for that last comment. Technically… well, it was true. But Rin didn't feel any kind of guilt because of the pain and the fact that she was trying to hold back tears and a blush.

"Guards, escort this demon out," Susumu ordered, glaring at Onigumo while three of the guards, including Toki, dragged the seething Onigumo away.

Susumu turned from her defensive position beside Nanami to lower down to the water demoness' level. She found tears in the girl's eyes and a bruise quickly forming on her face. Susumu comforted Nanami for a moment and then turned to Kagura to say, "You can stay, Lady Kagura. If you act out like your father to disgrace this house, you will meet the same dishonor."

Kagura gave the dog-demoness a red glare from the underworld and hastily made her exit without further ado.

Rin was startled when, after Kagura had stormed from the room, she felt a large, warm hand covering her own on her cheek. She opened the eye that was unaffected and saw Sesshomaru looking at her with more tenderness than she had ever seen him show. He removed her hand and traced the raised handprint on her cheek, almost tickling her with the light touch.

Sesshomaru was enraged by Onigumo and Kagura, and almost wished that he had fought the cheeky lord right after he had assaulted Nanami. His anger was only fueled by feeling the growing bruise on her cheek, but was then lessened by the small smile she afforded to him when he traced a claw around the bruised area.

A couple of the guards came back in after escorting Onigumo out of the fortress' walls, ruining the silently sweet moment between the mute demoness and their lord.

"My lady," Toki addressed Susumu, "Lord Onigumo has left into the forest and my superior has placed guards outside of Lady Kagura's room to keep her contained."

"Very good," Susumu waved Toki away. "Lady Nanami, come with me and we will go to the bathhouse to help heal you."

Sesshomaru helped Nanami stand and caught a glimpse of her red eyes darting back to his while she left with his mother.

"Well… that was an eventful dinner," the prince of the wolf demons commented to his lackeys.

* * *

><p>Rin was thankful now more than ever that she was a demon. The bruise was already on the mend, something Rin got to marvel at all throughout her bath with Lady Susumu.<p>

She was dressed in another sleeping kosode and was preparing for bed when Sesshomaru asked to see her. One of her maids let him in and left the two in the privacy of her quarters, knowing better than to intrude upon her lord and mistress.

When the door slid back into place behind the maid, Sesshomaru let his hand gently caress Nanami's healing cheek. He asked, "Do you still feel pain?"

Rin shook her head negatively. Well, it still hurt, but with Sesshomaru around pain was left on the backburner.

"I wish for you to join me tomorrow in my study. Your company pleases me," he said with no particular infliction. He trailed his sharp claws down from her cheek to her neck, and then to her hand.

If Rin had a voice, she was sure she would have moaned embarrassingly.

"Until tomorrow, Lady Nanami," Sesshomaru bowed to Nanami, causing her to almost have a heart attack. Sesshomaru did not bow to many people on his own accord. He left the room by turning on his heel and swiftly sliding the door open.

After she felt it was safe, Rin's maid came back in to check the needs of her mistress and blow out the candles for Rin.

Rin settled into an easy sleep- dreaming of golden eyes, a scorned Kagura, and her greatly improved chances as well as the one day she had left to win Sesshomaru.

She remained oblivious to the golden eyes that yet again watched her in her sleep.

* * *

><p>A figure made its way through the fortress' walls without much trouble. A dozing guard in the early morning hour provided the demon with an easy opening in the Great Lord Sesshomaru's defenses.<p>

The masked demon seemed to fly across the grasses and gardens, only coming to a stop at an open door which led to the residence halls of the fortress.

While walking in the direction of Rin's room, he came across few guards and easily dispatched them into the afterlife with strikes from his limbs concealed by his baboon pelt.

He slaughtered the maid and guard directly outside of Rin's room with no hesitation and ripped the door out of its track to enter her room. He made his way to her sleeping figure with the grace of a stalking predator, but did not realize until it was much too late that he was not the only predator in the room.

Sesshomaru laid low until he was given a nice vantage point on the intruder's back. He did not draw the useless Tenseiga to attack; he allowed green poison to drip from his claws before he lunged for the invader. The masked demon had only enough time after sensing Sesshomaru to turn and take the poison claws in his side, rather than in his back.

They stumbled onto Rin's sleeping form, effectively waking her from deep slumber. She would have screamed, had she a voice, but terror caused her to remain still. Her leg caught under one of the fighting demon's foot, and she tried without success to whimper.

Rin could only see bits of white and a glowing green color, but could easily hear grunts of exertion and pain from the two fighting. The pair of fighters rolled to her other side and Rin took the opportunity to run to the broken door but her escape was stopped by many other demons, including Susumu, coming down the hallway. They surrounded her and they watched as the fight was slowly becoming clearly illuminated by the rising sun.

Rin could now see Sesshomaru fighting with his claws glowing green and the masked Naraku. Rin didn't know what was under the baboon pelt for sure, but was getting glimpses of random arms and legs and maybe tentacles of many demons shooting out from under the pelt to fight Sesshomaru.

One of Naraku's limbs constricted itself around Sesshomaru's middle only to be cleanly cut off by Sesshomaru's claws. Naraku took advantage of his open side and careened another limb to hit him right beneath the dog-demon's raised arm, successfully knocking the wind out of Sesshomaru.

Naraku did not hesitate to use yet another disfigured limb to hit Sesshomaru in the stomach, discernibly sporting blood on its withdrawal.

Rin, dazed and worried, stepped forward and was about to try to intervene when she was pulled back by Susumu. The demoness pulled Rin further away from the two fighting demons and concealed her worried emotions. Normally it did not take Sesshomaru very long to dispatch an enemy, and it was an obscenely rare occurrence when his opponent could draw blood. The guards and servants surrounding them knew it too, and were trying to prepare themselves in case their lord or lady should wish them to intervene. They all knew that to intervene with the lord's affairs without permission could mean their own deaths by accident or by after-the-fact purpose.

Rin's washing basin in the corner was smashed into tiny shards when Naraku managed to throw Sesshomaru off of his back, making a hideous shattering noise and gaining a grunt of pain from Sesshomaru.

Naraku then chose to speak, "Rin, your time is up- the sun has raised itself from the eastern sky! You must come with me and become my slave for all of eternity."

Rin was startled, gave him a confused and horrified look.

Naraku sent another limb to hit Sesshomaru head-on, efficiently blocking his attempt to right himself.

"You had three sunrises, girl," he chuckled darkly in between his phrases, "And this one is number three." He gestured to the sun was still lazily climbing the sky out of Rin's window.

Rin, who had not thought of her technical first night as a demon, paled and idled rigidly in place. If only she had a voice to protest with! Naraku advanced on Rin, who was pulled back behind a few guards. The demons standing in Naraku's way were easily pushed to the side with grave injuries and Susumu stepped up to fight him in the guards' stead.

While Naraku was preoccupied with his mother's own poison whip, Sesshomaru righted himself and charged for Naraku's back- claws out and glowing.

Naraku, who had just barely dodged the poison of Susumu's attack, did not have time to move from the path of Sesshomaru's. Five poisoned claws effectively ploughed through his body and ripped whatever it could on the way. Sesshomaru slowly withdrew his arm, making sure his poison hit as many things as it could on its way out.

The white pelt and mask fell dully, taking Rin's demon appearance with it.

Sesshomaru, distracted by his disappearing opponent, did not see the change immediately. He was instead preoccupied with lifting the pelt to find two pieces of the same piece of carved wood split inside the pelt.

_Merely an illusion, a puppet… _

Sesshomaru finally dropped the wooden fragments unceremoniously and turned to find a very human girl standing on the other side of the room in a kosode identical to that of Nanami's.

"Rin!" exclaimed one of the maids who had been worried over the girl's disappearance.

Rin glanced at the maid with a slightly horrified expression- she had not planned for a situation like this! As she had understood the deal with Naraku the outcomes were to stay a demon forever by Sesshomaru's side or be taken away by Naraku as a human, with no middle ground. Now she was stuck in a room surrounded by the people who thought she was a demon lady, including Sesshomaru, while she was a plain human.

"What is the meaning of this, _girl_?" Susumu asked pointedly, losing all of the formalities and pleasantries that Rin had become accustomed to over the last couple of days.

Rin stumbled to speak, for even after only a couple of days, speaking was odd.

"I am sorry, my lady-" she began, but was cut off by a hiss from Susumu.

"Sorry? You deceived _this Susumu_ and her most honorable son! You have caused uproar in _this Susumu's_ household! You have masqueraded as a noble demoness when you are merely a _human_ girl!"

Rin had rarely seen her lady angry, but knew enough about her temper that it usually resulted in death.

"_And you have undermined the only suitable mate for my most honorable son!" _Susumu barked as she advanced towards Rin, who had fallen into a crouching bow on the floor, touching her nose to the cold hard wood. "You are _the reason_ that demon came here!"

Rin cried out when Susumu's strong claws struck her exposed back and had to hold back her sobs as Susumu humiliated her in front of the shocked crowd.

Many of the other maids had to hold back their protests as their lady circled Rin, deciding what to do with their longtime friend.

Rin plead with pain shaking her voice after a few moments, "Please, my lady! I beg of you, let me explain-"

"Explain?" Susumu barked again and raised her right hand to strike Rin again, but was stopped by Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru released her hand from his iron grip after Susumu realized that it was he that had stopped her. Susumu's son gave her a fleeting look before nonchalantly exiting through the smashed door.

Susumu, who was just overruled by her own son, waved her hand to a couple of guards standing by and said, "Lock her away." With that, she exited with a few of her personal servants.

The guards picked her up by her elbows and hastily carried her to an area Rin had rarely encountered. The fortress did not have a dungeon or any of the common prisons- only a small, enclosed space that wouldn't even pass for a hut with one sliding door that was capable of being strongly shut by a carved piece of wood from the outside. There were no inhabitants, Rin thanked any god listening, but it was often used for passing bandits or 'uninvited houseguests.'

The two guards dropped her without warning onto the floor of the shabby structure and slid the door behind them- casting Rin into darkness. Rin heard the locking mechanism fall into place moments later and then allowed herself to cry.

How much easier this would have been if there had been no hope!

* * *

><p>Rin lost track of time confined in the sorry excuse for a prison. She had only been fed twice in the time that she had been locked up but knew that this was maybe the result of three days. Her stomach was growling incessantly and her lips were cracked from her lack of water.<p>

She had only seen light when the same guard had come in and brought her food- Rin vaguely recognized him as a friend of Toki's.

Rin spent most of her riddled time humming songs or trying to think of new ones. It did not help much, but it was nice to remind herself of the things she loved and had lost.

"_Now my foolish boat is leaning, broken lovelorn on your rocks."_ The new line in her song was inspired solely by Sesshomaru…

Sleep took over Rin's mind- the only escape from the hell she was currently locked up in.

* * *

><p>AN: So… I avoid Japanese words like the plague. If 'kimono' was a translatable word, I wouldn't use it.


	6. Chapter 6

Rin felt comfortably warm when waking from her sleep. It was an odd feeling. She was used to the chilly nights of the waning summer and the blazing heat of the afternoon. This temperature was pleasant.

Did this change mean that she had finally died in the godforsaken prison?

Rin opened her eyes to find out and was surprised to see the old ceiling from her servant's quarters.

"You're finally awake," said a gentle, recognizable voice.

Rin shifted her blurry vision to see Toki sitting by her shabby sleeping mat.

"We thought you were close to death in that damn prison," he sighed, stroking the sweaty hair on her brow back from her eyes.

Rin gave him a mildly alarmed look, and he went on to explain that after four days of being locked up, Susumu had a change of heart and ordered that Rin be released back to her duties. Toki then interjected his own reasons for her change of heart, like being embarrassed that she could not dress herself. But when a maid came to fetch Rin from the prison, she and a guard could not wake her and smelled the symptoms of sickness on Rin's unconscious body. They brought her back to her former quarters and had the healer from a nearby village come to treat her.

"That was a few days ago, now," Toki explained, feeling relief when he touched her forehead again and did not feel a fever. "Are you well enough to get up?" he asked.

Rin thought for a moment, going over each limb's readiness to move. "Yeah, I'd like to go take a bath."

Toki laughed and waved his hands in front of his face, pretending to swoon from her ungodly scent. When his laughing had ceased, he called one of her fellow maids in to take her to the servants' baths. "Lady Susumu will probably call you in a couple of hours to dress her for dinner, Rin. Remember that she is likely still angry with you." Toki patted the short woman's shoulder, feeling worried for her.

Rin was much relieved to settle down in the comfortable water of the bath, but despaired over the knots she was slowly but surely working out of her hair. One of her old friends brought a warm, delectable lunch to her while she bathed, bringing a smile to Rin's gaunt face.

Once Rin was fed and well-bathed, she began to sing while drying off her body and hair. Though her song was sad, it was heartening to be able to sing with a moist throat.

"_Did I dream you dreamed about me? Were you here when I was flotsam? Now my foolish boat is leaning, broken lovelorn on your rocks."_ Rin stopped her song with the new line, remembering Kagura's emotionless rendition of her song. That's right! Rin remembered that she still had to explain to Sesshomaru that Kagura was somehow allied with Naraku and had taken her voice to deceive him!

Rin rushed through drying and dressing herself in her plain servant's yukata to get back to the main parts of the fortress to 'stumble upon' Sesshomaru.

The human girl was running through a hallway when she full-on crashed into Prince Kouga after turning a corner.

"You know," he said, after steadying her and listening to her frantic apologies, "This isn't the first time this has happened."

Rin's eyes widened in horror and realized that this was indeed the second time she had crashed into the wolf prince. She uttered another round of apologies and bowed even more fervently to the demon, who could easily order her death over such a thing.

"Ah, no need for all of that," Kouga awkwardly said, trying to get the girl to look at his face instead of his bare toes. "Hey, you're the servant that was Lady Nanami, weren't you?" he asked, looking at her with his stunningly blue eyes.

"Ah, yes, Prince Kouga," Rin stuttered, wishing he would stop looking at her with that kind look on his face. It's not that she did not appreciate his generosity; it was just that she did not feel like she deserved it.

"I trust that you will still keep my conversations with Sesshomaru private?" he stated more than asked, a smile adorning his face.

"Of course, Prince Kouga-"

Kouga laughed, patting Rin's shoulder as he did so. "No need for all of this 'Prince Kouga' stuff. I haven't earned that high of a title from you!" He continued to laugh, and almost earned a smile from Rin in his ever-present good mood. "What is your actual name, anyway?" he asked once his laughs had died and he had calmed himself down.

"Rin," she said, daring to finally answer while looking at his face. Not his eyes yet, for she was still uncomfortable with that.

"Rin… well, good luck with Sesshomaru. I'm still rooting for you to win, even with the whole ceremony coming up-" he stopped rambling when he saw the look of confusion on her face. "Don't tell me that no one's told you? Sesshomaru announced that he would marry Kagura a few days ago. The ceremony is next week."

Rin's face must have showed her instant nausea because Kouga was almost instantly worried with her reaction.

"I guess no one did tell you then…" he sighed and scratched and back of his head."You know, I lost a girl I loved very much to another demon. He was actually Sesshomaru's half-brother, you see…" Kouga went into a long story which Rin was sure she would have found interesting any other day. But her mind drifted into the abyss of possibilities concerning her current situation. Her interfering with Kagura's marriage to Sesshomaru wasn't just about her selfish intents anymore- but about the fact that Kagura was somehow aligned with Naraku- the demon that had dared to cross Sesshomaru.

"- so now Kagome and Inuyasha are traveling along with their little company trying to find Naraku and bring him down. I'll be rejoining the quest soon-"

Rin was pulled out of her own thoughts very suddenly at the mention of Naraku's name. She cut him off by asking, "You said Naraku?"

"Well, yeah, that's the bastard's name that was responsible for a lot of deaths in my tribes. Naraku, along with that insufferable Onigumo, have caused a great deal of damage to my people. It's the only reason my elders have decided to wait on cutting off our alliance with Sesshomaru. They think that without Sesshomaru, we'll die out at the hands of either Onigumo or Naraku."

"But didn't Sesshomaru kill Naraku the other night?" Rin asked, thinking of the awful night.

"That's what everyone watching thought, but it only turned out to be a puppet. The bastard is known for pulling crap like that," Kouga sneered at the thought of the foul beast. "What I can't figure out is why he was so intent on killing you, little Rin. What made him so intent on getting you that night?"

Rin paled, wondering if she should tell the wolf demon the answer to his question. "Can we speak in confidence, Kouga?" she finally asked. If Naraku really was a serious threat, any information she had might help, especially if it concerned Sesshomaru.

"Of course, Rin," he said. "Let's go outside- where eavesdropping is made harder."

The wolf prince led the servant girl to one of the deserted gardens and sat cross-legged under a tall tree which offered shade from the mid-afternoon sun. He sniffed the air for a moment, making sure that they had not been followed or stumbled upon.

"Naraku came to me many days ago and made me a deal I could not resist," Rin started, feeling burdened by the fact that she had taken a deal from the mysterious demon. Kouga waited patiently for her to go on while she thought. "He offered to turn me into a demon in exchange for my voice."

"That is why you were mute," Kouga nodded, putting her predicament together slowly. "Why did you want to be a demon? Humans are just as admirable."

"I wanted," Rin paused and blushed before saying, "Sesshomaru to notice me."

Kouga laughed and replied with good humor, "You are a silly young woman! If Sesshomaru didn't look at you while human, then he didn't deserve you!"

"I've never heard of a demon that would agree with you," Rin sighed, finally sitting across from Kouga out of emotional exhaustion.

"You know, the woman I was in love with was human," Kouga said to Rin, watching her eyes widen in surprise. "I loved her because she was loyal, brave, and strong-willed. I wanted my mate to be all of those things, even if she was 'only human.'"

Rin thought about it for a moment, taking in Kouga's utter sincerity. "Sesshomaru wouldn't be as open as you," she stated.

"So? It seemed to me that he was smitten with you only a few days ago. In fact, he told me that he had snuck into your room at night without you knowing."

"What?" Rin exclaimed, embarrassed and shocked.

"Yeah. Didn't anyone get suspicious of you smelling so much of him? I could smell him on you from across the fortress."

"Someone might have mentioned it," Rin said, thinking of Toki and his inquiry of her night after being transformed. "But even if he could overlook my humanity, there's his mother. There is also the fact that I lied to him about who I was."

Kouga shook his head from side to side, trying to find the words to reason with her. "Lady Susumu shouldn't matter. She had her time as the Lady of the West, but once Sesshomaru is married, she will have no say. And technically, Rin, you didn't ever lie. You couldn't even speak."

"Speak! Oh, Kouga, Naraku took my voice and gave it to Kagura! She sang, with my voice, and has been deceiving Sesshomaru with it!" Rin exclaimed, reminded of what she was really running about the fortress for.

Kouga took the information in, trying to go over in his mind the encounters Sesshomaru had spoken with him about concerning Kagura's 'enchanting' voice. The only time they had actually witnessed Kagura singing was during the time that Rin was Nanami. But, to be absolutely certain before bringing the matter before Sesshomaru, Kouga told Rin, "Sing."

* * *

><p>He was hearing her singing again- the voice that had captured his attention was drifting through an open door as he walked down the long hallway.<p>

"My lord," Jaken the toad demon greeted his master. "Lady Kagura requests your audience."

Sesshomaru spared only a glance for the retainer, then turned toward the open door and strolled out into the sun, leaving the sputtering toad behind him. It had been a while since he had gotten to witness his intended sing and no matter was immediately calling for his attention. Not like he would want to attend to any matters, really. He had not looked forward to going to his study since Nanami- since the deceiving siren of a human had distracted him.

"_Did I dream you dreamed about me? Were you here when I was flotsam?"_

Sesshomaru basked in the sound of Kagura's singing voice. This was why he could tolerate being mated to this demoness… It was too bad that he was catching the end of the song-

"_Now my foolish boat is leaning, broken lovelorn on your rocks."_

A new verse? But it did not make sense… Sesshomaru had come to think of this song as Kagura's own personal lover's vows to him. But now… the song was about unrequited love?

True, he did not exactly love Kagura. He did not 'love' much outside of battle… but the relationship he had with Kagura would not be classified as one-sided.

"You sound much better than Kagura," Kouga's voice said from around the bend in the path Sesshomaru was walking.

_Better than Kagura?_

"Thank you," Rin bowed, not embarrassed for the first time in front of the wolf prince. "I'm still working on the ending…"

Sesshomaru picked his pace up, coming closer. He knew- he absolutely _knew-_ that voice was not Kagura's. But the singing voice was!

"Your song is about Sesshomaru, isn't it?" Kouga asked, knowing well her feelings of unrequited love. Rin's rendition of the song differed greatly from Kagura's because of the intensity of the emotions behind the words being sung.

Sesshomaru looked around the bend in the path just in time to watch the servant girl say, "Yes, it's about Lord Sesshomaru. I… I have been smitten with him since I was a child."

"Uh-huh," Kouga absently said, growing lazy in the ease of the moment. He could easily relate to this woman. "Well, you've proven your claims to me. How shall we get Sesshomaru to-" he stopped to sniff the air. He caught the dog-demon's scent not far away. "How rude is it to eavesdrop, Sesshomaru?" he asked, getting angry with the dog.

Rin gasped, instantly losing her peaceful mindset and becoming quickly red from embarrassment. How could she face him now? How much had he just heard?

Sesshomaru's face showed annoyance at Kouga. The dog-demon crossed the short grassy distance between the two and him with quick, long strides. "Why do you fraternize with human servants, wolf?"

Kouga sighed and took a moment to rise from the ground, finding Sesshomaru's eyes not looking at him, but at Rin.

"Why do you stare at said human servant like a dog in heat?" Kouga retorted.

Sesshomaru moved his eyes to Kouga for that remark and glared at the cheeky prince. "Once I marry Kagura, you are to leave this place," he said, keeping as much seething anger out of his voice as he could.

"Gods above, Sesshomaru! Haven't you been listening in long enough to know that Kagura is the fraud, not Rin?" Kouga questioned the slightly taller demon, daring to look him straight in the eye as he did so. "Rin, get up and tell him what you know!"

Rin stood slowly, only following Kouga's direction when Sesshomaru didn't protest. When she had risen to her full height, which did not even pass Sesshomaru's shoulder, she watched Kouga and Sesshomaru finally loose eye contact to stare at her. She blushed again and stuttered a few times before managing to say, "Kagura was given my voice from Naraku. She used it to sing for you, Lord Sesshomaru." Her voice was not very loud, but it did not matter to the two hearing-sensitive demons.

"How did Naraku come into possession of your voice, girl?" Sesshomaru asked with angry disbelief straining every word.

"I… I traded it to become a demon, my lord."

"Why did you do that?" Sesshomaru restrained a growl from entering the question.

"Does it matter, Sesshomaru?" Kouga punctuated his question with a wild sweep of his strong arms. When no answer came from either of the others, he went on, "All that matters here is that Kagura and Naraku are somehow allied with each other. You want Naraku dead just as much as me or Inuyasha."

"Naraku hasn't given me any reason to want him dead," Sesshomaru stated flatly.

"He tried to attack Rin!" Kouga protested, pointing a claw at the girl.

"He," Sesshomaru punctuated the next bit with a pause, "tried to attack Nanami. Not a human maid."

"That's a load of it, and you and I both know it!" Kouga chastised Sesshomaru. "Just because you're all butt hurt about Rin being a human. It shouldn't matter."

"Maybe to riffraff," Sesshomaru said while flicking a hand lazily in Kouga's face.

Kouga ignored the insult and tired, "At least test Kagura, Sesshomaru. See if what we say is the truth. If she cannot sing, she has deceived you and is connected with Naraku!"

Sesshomaru huffed and turned to walk away on his heavy black boots, making Rin see him as more of a normal person. Even Sesshomaru could act like a child.

Kouga and Rin watched the dog-demon saunter away like a prized poodle.

"Don't worry," Kouga said in a manner which reminded Rin very much of Toki. "Sesshomaru may not seem like he takes your opinion into consideration, but he does. I'd bet a whole hog carcass that he'll put Kagura to the test within the next day. Maybe even at dinner."

"Oh no!" Rin exclaimed. "I'm supposed to dress Lady Susumu for dinner!"

Kouga tilted his head at her and then understood the outburst's significance. Susumu was likely still very angry over Rin's masquerade as a noble demoness… Before Rin could run off, Kouga grabbed her arm and slung her onto his back. "Hold on, I'll run you over to her rooms!" he called over his shoulder before beginning to run.

A whirlwind quickly formed around them, causing Rin to lose her bearings. Kouga came to a sudden stop by digging his heels in the earth under him and hopped up into an open sliding door. He continued to run indoors, but with much more delicacy and much less speed.

They came to the front of Susumu's quarters and stopped. Kouga bent his knees to lower himself so that Rin could easily slide off his back, mindful of the idle sword tied in his belt.

"Thank you, Kouga," Rin said, hoping she did not sound as shaky as she felt.

"Anytime, kid," Kouga said in return, saluting with two fingers before briskly making his way down the hallway in the opposite direction that they had come.

Rin turned from watching Kouga walk away to the two guards in front of Susumu's door. They recognized her without a problem and alerted a maid just inside the door that she was there.

The maid came to the door a moment later and had the two let Rin in. Rin followed the maid closely, keeping her head bowed and her eyes on her feet. She was led to the front of Susumu's reclined form and bowed her head to the ground, making her nose touch the floor beneath her.

"Have you recovered from your sickness, Rin?" Susumu asked, surprising many of the room's occupants, including Rin herself.

Rin rose into a sitting position, keeping her eyes on the black hem of Susumu's kimono. "Yes, my lady. I am well."

"Good," Susumu replied. "Now, what would you have me wear for dinner?"

Rin stood slowly, still not believing Susumu's lack of… any emotion toward her. She crossed Susumu to get to her wardrobe, fully expecting the demoness to strike out or to begin her punishment. None came.

"A burnt orange for the under kosode would be pleasing matched against a true blue kimono, my lady," Rin said. After getting approval from Susumu, the maids quickly took to dressing her.

"What should I have for the obi, Rin?" Susumu asked lazily as the maids closed her kimono in preparation for the formal belt.

"A patterned golden obi, the one with butterflies," Rin said absently, taking the vast material from the wardrobe. She stepped up behind Susumu to tie it in place, taking extra care to make it perfect.

"A pleasing job," Susumu commented while looking over Rin's work with her rare mirror. "Stay in the dining room, I shall need your assistance after dinner."

Rin bowed once more and made her way out of the room without another incentive given.

* * *

><p>AN: I found out the other day that 'Susumu' is the name of Kai Hiwatari's father from the Beyblade series. 'Rin' is also the name of Ray's daughter in the final chapter! Haha, that brings back memories…I loved that show as a youngin'.


	7. Chapter 7

A/n: So… I assume that the Western Fortress (or whatever) is located near the ocean. My reasoning resting on the scene in movie three where Sesshomaru and his dad do the epically-soundtracked talk on the beach, in front of the breaking waves. So, unless that was just for epic-scenery's sake (which is actually quite likely), they probably have some sort of hold-up nearby.

Oh, to address my age- I am old enough to be studying for the LSAT but not old enough to rent a car. Give the interested a better idea? :)

* * *

><p>"Rin," Toki whispered behind the forlorn human while he followed her into the dining room. "You survived Lady Susumu's wrath…"<p>

Rin barely shifted her head to whisper back, "She wasn't acting angry toward me. She actually asked how I was feeling…"

Toki made a thoughtful noise in the back of his throat before seeing Sesshomaru and Kouga enter and stopping to bow with the other servants and guards. Being a guard, he was only required to bow at the waist, but Rin was on the lowest level of servants because of her human heritage and bowed with her nose to the ground.

Susumu entered not long after, Kagura in tow. Once seated, the servants sat up quickly to wait on the table guests.

Rin sat on the side of the room idly, as she normally did and had been doing since becoming Susumu's dresser. During a quieter moment in the royal's conversation, Rin felt eyes upon her and raised her lowered gaze to find its source. She found the blank eyes of Sesshomaru staring at her from his position at the table. Rin met his eyes for a short moment, and then turned her head in embarrassment to the floor once again.

At least she could look forward to singing the words aloud once she was released from this hell…

"Mother," the deep timbre of Sesshomaru's voice hushed all others in the room. "I have been thirsting for a performance from Kagura. Do you feel the same?"

Susumu put down her cup precisely and smiled at the wind sorceress. "Why, yes. It has been some time since you last graced us with a performance, Lady Kagura."

Kagura did her best to hide her horrified feelings, and gulped down a hearty drink of the tea in her hands. She sighed and fluttered her pale, thin hands at the dinner, saying, "As much as I would like to perform, this…weather has just ripped my voice apart." She gave a pitiful cough into a hand and then rested both hands in her lap as she offered a coy smile to the table.

"Surely it is not so," Kouga smirked at the red-eyed demon from his place next to Sesshomaru, "For I heard you yelling at a servant less than an hour ago."

Kagura's face precisely matched the hue of her eyes as she fumed at Kouga. "Singing is different, _wolf_."

"Kagura," Sesshomaru cut off the demoness' oncoming verbal onslaught. "Sing."

Kagura blanched and cleared her throat, throwing a nasty glare to the wolf prince as she stood. She took her sweet time walking to the end of the table opposite of Sesshomaru and took almost a full minute to breathe and calm down. She couldn't formulate a plan other than to hope that they would buy her sore voice excuse.

She gave a nervous laugh before taking a very deep, shuttering breath and beginning.

"On… the floating, shipping ocean," a high screech followed the incorrect words, startling most of the room. She stopping and covered her throat with her hands, looking quite embarrassed.

"Continue," Sesshomaru stated, keeping his impeccable straight face.

"…I did all the best to smi-smile."

Rin thought it was quite ironic that the demoness could hardly say 'smile.'

"Until, you are singing, eye and finger," Kagura made a face during this line, causing Kouga to lose much of his composure.

Rin covered her mouth to choke back laughter during the next line of, "You drew me on your isle…"

Before she could continue, Susumu stood and cut off Kagura with a wave of her hand. "I think that's quite enough humiliation for one day, Sesshomaru."

Sesshomaru stayed quiet for a moment, letting the stifled laughter in the room settle before he answered, "Yes, it was. This Sesshomaru now knows that not only is Onigumo a liar and disrespectful, but his whore of a daughter is too. Their treachery has outstayed its welcome in this home. Leave immediately," he told Kagura.

Kagura turned and practically ran from the room, a sense of relief filling her place.

Susumu left not long after, her herd of servants following her. Rin was at the back of the group, but was stopped from exiting by a strong tug on the back of her plain yukata.

She turned to find Kouga's strong grip keeping her from leaving, and was about to ask why when he gently pushed her back toward the table, where Sesshomaru still sat in silence.

They waited in silence until the guards had gotten the hint and filed out, leaving only Sesshomaru and Rin in the room. "Why do you stay, servant?"

Rin kneeled down and bowed before the dog demon, trying to understand why Kouga had put her into this situation.

She took too long to answer, so Sesshomaru went on, "This has changed nothing," he said, even though he wasn't sure it was true. Rin's story had been proven, but she was a human, a mere servant; a fleeting life.

When Rin did not move from her place before him, he said in an almost quiet voice, "Leave me."

Rin hurried from the room, feeling like she had just been in the heat of the summer sun in the room. At her brisk pace, it didn't take her long to find solace outside in an abandoned area. She sat with less grace than was usual and tried her very best to retain her dignity and not cry.

Why should she cry for the dog? He was pretentious, stubborn, mean… wonderful.

* * *

><p>Rin was back on her normal schedule that morning- cleaning, singing, and more cleaning. The chilly air wasn't helping her downtrodden mood or her freezing fingers.<p>

"'_Now my foolish boat is leaning, broken lovelorn on your rocks… For you sang, 'Touch me not, touch me not, come back tomorrow.'"_

Rin sang, finding words that had been building in her head for some time as she cleaned. She knew she probably sounded worse than she ever had, her voice cracking from trying to hold back tears.

"'_Oh my heart, oh my heart shies from the sorrow.'"_

Why did she even love him? Why could she not let go? There was no sense in it! At least… there was no sense in it while she was human. He was more confusing now than ever in her many years serving this household!

"If you continue on like this, I might have to rip my own heart out."

Rin jumped from the sound of the all-to-familiar voice, dropped the garment in her hands, and turned her teary eyes to face the subject of her song's mother. Upon seeing the elegance that was the ruling lady, Rin fell into her usual, lowly bow and stopped her sobbing from escaping her lips.

The regent Lady of the West sighed to herself softly, feeling sorry for her trusted servant. Going against protocol, the demoness sat gracefully on her knees in front of Rin and brought up an elegant claw to guide the human up from her bow.

"You, my dear, sounded much like the well-singing Kagura. This is quite curious, considering it was precisely the same song…" Susumu said, trying to catch the watery brown eyes of the girl before her.

Rin sniffled trying to reign in what was left of her dignity before answering, "That's because Kagura used my voice, my lady." When Rin saw Susumu arch and eyebrow, she tried to defend herself by saying, "Prince Kouga knows it to be true… as should Lord Sesshomaru, my lady. The guard Toki can also attest to this."

"I do not doubt you, Rin. I am only piecing this whole story together… everything is starting to fall into place," Susumu said, staying perfectly posed on the ground. "I sought you out to give you my apology."

Rin, finally raising her gaze, looked startled and stuttered over the word, "A-apology?"

Susumu nodded and rested a clawed hand on Rin's shoulder with a gentle touch. "Yes, Rin, I am sorry for the past few days. I am sorry for doubting your intentions, for growing angry with you, and for judging you by your species."

Rin was shocked, knowing that to get an apology from someone such as Susumu was rare- and likely an honor.

"You know," Susumu started, gaining an insightful look on her face before continuing, "My late husband fell for a human while we were ruling this land… I suppose I'm a tad biased toward human women."

Susumu stood gracefully from her spot on the grass and lifted Rin with her, reminding the human of Susumu's hidden strength. "Come walk with me," she said, pulling Rin's arm through hers and beginning a slow-paced walk toward the far side of the fortress that was closest to the ocean. She gestured to a passing servant to finish up Rin's work as they strolled away.

It wasn't a quiet walk for long- Susumu started to narrate the fall of Sesshomaru's father. Now, Rin understood the hatred Sesshomaru held for her race- especially women.

"Sesshomaru is even more prone to anger at half-breeds, I'm afraid. On the night of the great dog general's demise, his lover gave birth to Sesshomaru's half-brother," Susumu shook her head at the memories surrounding this event. "I'm not quite sure where the bastard is now; I've gathered from Prince Kouga that he is on some sort of quest to defeat some demon named Naraku."

Rin faltered in her steps, causing Susumu to swivel her head to look directly at her companion. "Did you say Naraku?" Rin asked, almost sweating in anticipation.

"Yes, I believe that is the name. I would have to inquire it from Kouga again to be sure. Why is this so concerning, Rin?"

"Naraku is the name of the demon that took my voice, changed my form, and gave my voice to Kagura. Prince Kouga told me that Naraku was still alive after Lord Sesshomaru cut through his… puppet."

"That is very curious, Rin," Susumu gained a concentrated look on her face, something Rin rarely saw. "So Kagura and Naraku had to be connected?"

"I assume so, my lady," Rin said, knowing that Susumu didn't need her confirmation to know it to be true.

"This means that Naraku and Onigumo are related in some way. This is a very, very grave situation," Susumu said, keeping the thoughtful look on her face. "Kouga has told me of the fatal attacks both have asserted on his tribe in recent months… but I fear this could mean that the two have been targeting the west."

Susumu gave Rin an apologetic look and dislodged her arm from Rin's. "I'm sorry to hastily leave our walk, dear, but I must tell Sesshomaru this straight away. Can you make it back on your own?" Susumu asked while preparing her demonic energy to travel quickly.

"Yes, I think I might enjoy the ocean for a bit," Rin gave the demoness a small smile, earning one in return.

Susumu nodded in a fashion much like her son and quickly gathered her energy into a bundle and sped off to the fortress in a bright ball of light.

Rin walked only a few paces more to the edge of the fortress grounds where a steep drop led to the ocean. She sat on the ledge and allowed herself to enjoy the serenity offered by the breakers. It had been awhile since she had time to come all the way out here- and made a promise to herself that she would make a point to do so more often.

* * *

><p>Sesshomaru was rarely taken off guard, but one of the few people who could consistently do so was his mother. He had been peacefully going over some of his favorite writings left to him by his father when his mother ripped through the rice paper covering of his window quite suddenly. She was one of the few with enough speed- especially when travelling via demonic energy- to catch him unawares.<p>

"Why have you come with so little grace, mother?" Sesshomaru asked, trying to ignore the scent of Rin that had overcome the heavy perfumes she wore.

"I have pieced together quite the narrative, Sesshomaru," Susumu hastily circled around to the front of his low desk, nonchalantly picking a piece of broken wood from her otherwise flawless hair. "It revolves around Naraku-"Susumu started, but was cut off by the timely Prince Kouga.

"I heard something breaking and ran over," he said with his gruff voice, still clearly put-off by Sesshomaru. "Everything all right here?"

"Prince Kouga, you said that your tribe was attacked by a demon named Naraku, correct?" Susumu asked, not bothering with the decorum of sitting down.

"Yes- the half-breed bastard killed a lot of my wolves," Kouga cocked an eyebrow, wondering what this had to do with anything.

The door to the study flew open yet again to reveal the armored Toki, who was out of breath but shouted, "My lord! Is everything well?"

"A tad late, dear," Susumu pointed out, almost smirking at the guard's zeal. "But not unwelcome. You have witnessed the plots of Naraku, Onigumo, and Kagura, haven't you?"

"I have, my lady. I witnessed Naraku's deal with Rin," Toki affirmed, hoping Sesshomaru was seeing what Susumu was obviously drawing out.

"Naraku, Onigumo, and Kagura all have something to do with each other, and I fear that they have conspired against us to take the west," Susumu asserted, keeping a calm tone in her voice.

"That makes a whole lot of sense," Kouga interjected. "Onigumo has also made advances against many of my tribes. He's been very aggressive towards anyone in his way. Naraku sending one of his puppets to attack Rin right after Kagura's humiliation is also quite suspicious. I don't like this situation one bit."

"I don't like it either," Sesshomaru said, putting the other two at ease. At least he wasn't being stubborn about _this_. Then again, it did involve the safety of his lands. "Whatever connection they have, both must be brought down immediately for the sake of the western lands." Sesshomaru gave a long, annoyed sigh after this, prompting both Kouga and Susumu to become concerned. Toki was stuck trying to figure out his lord's plans. "The best way to track Naraku down will be to find my half-brother, a rather unfortunate sacrifice I must make."

"I'll come with you," Kouga said. "I had been planning to go to Inuyasha and his travelling group for quite some time for the same reason."

Sesshomaru gave a nod of acknowledgment then called in his crisp, serious voice, "Jaken."

A squawk came from behind the study's door and Jaken slid it open and bowed deeply before answering, "Yes, my lord?"

"Prepare Ah-Un and my armor, we leave in the morning."

* * *

><p>Rin had enjoyed herself for as long as she could before walking back the walls of the fortress. The sun was getting lower and a chill was starting to permeate the air, Rin surmised it wasn't going to be long before she was missed.<p>

Rin rounded a corner and almost collided with Jaken in his short-legged gimpy run down the long hallway.

"Out of my way, human!" he yelled at her with his squawky voice while waving his hands around crazily.

Rin didn't hesitate to move, and hold back the malevolent urge to stick a foot out and trip the poor excuse of a demon. "What's got him on edge?" she asked aloud.

She smiled when she heard Kouga's familiar voice answer, "Sesshomaru."

"Hello Kouga," Rin greeted the wolf demon, letting her eyes wander the strange outfit he was wearing. Instead of his usual green haori and hakama, Kouga wore a green and grey armory top that was lined with brown fur and a short furry brown skirt to match. Fur also adorned his arms and legs; Rin was certain he had a brown fluffy tail wagging behind him.

Kouga noticed her strange look and realized that she had never seen him as he normally dressed among his people. He decided to let her come to her own conclusions about it if she was too shy to ask, and said, "Sesshomaru and I leave tomorrow morning to join the hunt for Naraku. Jaken has been ordered to prepare."

This distracted Rin from Kouga's appearance long enough for her to draw her curious eyes up to his ice blue ones. "Leaving in the morning," she said sadly.

"Which means that you should go find Sesshomaru and… sing for him, maybe? Do some girly confession?" Kouga teased her with a cheeky grin.

"I would agree with that," the voice of Susumu said from around the corner. Both Kouga and Rin watched as the demoness rounded the corner with a smile on her face. "But first, let _me _get_ you dressed_ for dinner, because you are my guest tonight."

Rin let a smile cross her face for Susumu, and followed the demoness down the hallway to her rooms.

"See you at dinner, _Lady Rin_," Kouga called from behind them.

Rin turned in the doorway and flashed the wolf prince a brilliant smile before sliding the door to Susumu's rooms closed. She turned to find a flurry of maids rushing about to bring a load of autumn kimonos to Susumu's attention.

"Dear, I'm afraid I don't have the eye that you have for these things… but I have been informed that autumn has begun and these kimonos would be best. I hope you aren't opposed to the dark blue with the orange collar and hem? Sesshomaru does fancy those colors," Susumu suggested to Rin, who had walked over and was admiring the choices before her.

"I'd forgotten that fall was so soon… well, is here," Rin ran a finger over a swirl on the sleeve of an orange kimono as she passed in front of Susumu. "You think I would look good in that one?" Rin said, gesturing to the kimono Susumu had suggested.

"I do. That kimono has been in my family for a long, long time. It followed me as part of my dowry when I married Sesshomaru's father," Susumu mused aloud, almost allowing a smile to come to her face.

"You are encouraging me to wear something so valuable?"

Susumu nodded and gestured to a nearby maid to fetch the silk and to begin dressing Rin. "When fall comes around us ladies are also expected to wear a coat," she said while walking to the bundles of folded coats. She picked up her favored blue coat with the white fur lining that resembled Sesshomaru's mokomoko. She handed it to another waiting servant and continued to browse through the folded silk, eyeing the colors and patterns carefully.

An awed silence came over the room, prompting Susumu to look over her shoulder at the radiant Rin.

"Wonderful," Susumu praised Rin. The kimono's deep blue body was decorated with dark orange, yellow, and pink flowers. The hem and collar were a deep orange, and worked together perfectly to complement Rin's dark hair and eyes.

"May I wear your bright yellow obi, my lady?" Rin asked, trying to sound confident with all of the women's eyes in the room glued to her form.

"Of course," Susumu said, prompting a maid to immediately grab the long length of yellow silk. Rin insisted that she could tie it herself and when she was done she was thrust into a red-orange coat. "Now all that needs to be done is your hair…" Susumu said, not needing to say anymore for her two hairdressers to perk up and lead Rin over to the rare mirror and vanity.

While those servants tended to Rin's hair, the others got Susumu dressed into a purple and white kimono and her blue fur-lined coat. Susumu's maids quickly styled her hair in one of her usual less-elaborate fashions. When Susumu was satisfied with her own appearance, she strolled over to her vanity to find the maids tucking the last of Rin's unruly hairs into the styled bun at the back of Rin's head. Her bangs, which tended to be a tad crazy, had been put under control on her forehead and were perfectly straight.

"Thank you for all this," Rin said, allowing her brown eyes to meet the golden ones of her patron.

Susumu afforded Rin a small smile before turning and announcing to the room in a fashion much more exciting than normal, "Let us head to the dining room!" It was pretty obvious that Susumu was very intent on showing off her little project.

They proceeded down the hallways of the western house without incident until they came to the entrance of the dining room. Rin began to bow to the occupants in the fashion she was accustomed to, but Susumu thrust a strong arm under Rin's shoulder, preventing her from doing so. Instead, Rin ended up in an awkward slouched position that made her feel more awkward and embarrassed than necessary. When she recovered from her red face, Rin was relieved to find that Sesshomaru's eyes were not on her- she was torn as to what that meant. Did he just not notice her? Was he intentionally ignoring her?

This continued through dinner, despite both Susumu and Kouga trying to draw Sesshomaru's attention to Rin who sat only a few feet away. "Did you know your grandmother wore that same kimono to the annual _Canis_ Festival?" Susumu asked. "Do you think the Lord of the East's hair is similar in color to Rin's coat, Sesshomaru?" Kouga asked.

Nothing worked to draw his eyes up from his food and sake, not even Jaken squawking about the preparations being done for their journey. Susumu didn't really stop interjecting some kind of attempt to get her son's attention in between the conversation being held mostly between herself and Kouga, with Rin talking when directly addressed. Old servants' habits die hard.

"Excuse me and my companions," Kouga said after pushing his plate away, "We must get our rest for the journey tomorrow."

"Of course," Susumu replied, offering a small bow from her shoulders. She waited for Kouga and his lackeys to exit before pushing her tea cup away and standing up. "Well, I shall retire also. Rin?"

Rin took this as her cue to stand and follow, and together they led Susumu's army of servants out and down the hall. Once they rounded a corner, Susumu gently pushed Rin to the side and told her attendants to go on without them. Rin noticed that they were only a few paces away from Sesshomaru's study.

"Now, Rin, you know what to do," Susumu said coyly to the girl pinned to the wall.

Rin looked to the study and then back to Susumu with a confused look, genuinely trying to figure out what she 'knew' to do. "I, uh, don't know, my lady."

Susumu's magenta lined eyes gave Rin the once over, and then she released Rin and began to saunter away. "It should come… naturally, dear," she called without stopping or turning her head.

Rin was slightly creeped out, but got over it quickly enough to enter into Sesshomaru's study. She slid the door closed behind her and made her way over to the painting of Sesshomaru's father. It was still amazing to her that these demons could possess such tremendous power within themselves. She was startled out of her awe by the sound of the door behind her sliding open. She turned, and immediately fell into a bow before Sesshomaru.

"My lord," she said after a moment of silence between them.

He glanced at her for a moment longer and then continued to cross his study to the still broken window behind his desk. "What do you want?" he asked, not turning his gaze away from the horizon.

Rin thought for a moment- what did she want? Forgiveness? Understanding? Him?

All three?

Rin rose from her bow and took the seat before his desk that she was familiar with from her time as 'Nanami.' She settled, and thanked the gods that Sesshomaru was an unusually patient demon. "I wish to know what you think of me."

Sesshomaru stood still, his arms relaxed and his shoulders only moving with his breath. "I think nothing of expendable maids."

Rin was hurt- but did not let him know this. She held back her tears, took a deep breath, and put on her big girl face. Standing to her full, short height, she walked out of the room without another word.

Sesshomaru was mildly surprised.


	8. Chapter 8

"Rin," came the voice of the female dog demon she least wanted to see that morning.

Rin continued to scrub at a stubborn stain on the bottom hem of one of Susumu's kimonos as the demoness approached.

"Rin, why did I not find you in my son's bed this morning?" Susumu questioned, genuinely confused and concerned over her little pet project.

Rin gave Susumu a startled look and asked, "Why would you find me there, my lady?"

Susumu put her hands on her hips and raised her voice a pitch, "Because I left you to go seduce and sleep with him last night!"

Rin had been scrubbing furiously but stopped at that comment. "You expected_ that_ to happen?"

"Of course I did!"

"Oh," Rin said, trying to take her mind off of the possibilities by making herself scrub the nonexistent spot on the kimono.

Susumu sighed with exasperation and let her hands fall from her hips. She turned her head briefly to check the ground under her feet and then sat on the grass beside Rin. "I suppose we'll just have to wait for Sesshomaru to get back from his little quest before you can conquer him. In the meantime, I'll just have to tell you all about seducing a male dog demon."

Rin was blushing like never before, but managed to decline Susumu's help with as much grace as she could muster for the subject. "My lady, I think it would be best if… if we all moved past what I felt for your son."

Susumu raised an eyebrow at Rin in much the same fashion as her son, and remained silent for a few moments. Rin stopped her scrubbing and set the kimono to dry. She decided to neglect the other kimonos for the moment and took a seat next to Susumu.

"I would give a lot to feel the kind of devotion to someone… I don't think that's something you should easily let go of, little one."

"You didn't love Sesshomaru's father?" Rin asked.

Susumu smiled and answered, "In a way, I suppose I did. We were thrown together in an arranged marriage. I admired him more than anything."

"I admire Sesshomaru," Rin said, slightly confused at Susumu's words.

"Your admiration for my son is different. You admire _him_. In my late husband, I admired his power and agreeableness, because there was no alternative for me."

"Oh, I see," Rin said, grasping her lady's reasoning.

"So we wait for Sesshomaru to return. Upon his return, you shall continue to pursue him and if he can't see past his own nose one more time, I'll exile him and take you for a daughter."

Rin was startled at the statement and turned to Susumu in surprise to find that the demoness had a large, toothy smile across her face. Rin and Susumu had a good laugh together.

* * *

><p>Things had gone on as normal as possible in the absence of Sesshomaru. Fall had progressed into an unusually chilly winter and marked ten years since Rin had come to the fortress. Rin spent her time mostly in the same fashion as she had for the last decade. She cleaned kimono and dressed her lady every day. She visited with Toki and the other servants. But she lacked a lot of her charm and perk- something Susumu attributed to her son's absence.<p>

Although Susumu had taken a great liking to Rin and often invited her to meals and walks, it didn't stop Rin's overall lackluster mood.

Her parents and brothers had been dead for a decade. She was past the human standards for marriage. Sesshomaru was gone.

Rin only found a release for herself in song, and was often found singing the song which had captured her lord's attention.

"_I'm as puzzled as a newborn child… I'm as riddled as the tide…"_

She sang the new verse while looking over the ocean. She made a promise to come here more often and was faithfully doing so at least once or twice a week.

Although the weather was often freezing, Rin would sit there in front of the ocean for long periods of time until she was missed. Toki would often come to her before the setting of the sun with another coat to warm her chilled body, or Susumu would materialize next to her to hear a song before dinner.

"_Should I stand amid the breakers? Or shall I lie with death my bride?"_

"I vote for death, little Rin."

* * *

><p>Susumu was reclining with an old letter when she noticed the setting sun. Following the normal fortress routine, it was time to prepare for dinner. "Bring Toki in," the demoness said to one of the maids at her side.<p>

"My lady," Toki said, upon his entrance offering a bow. "Do you wish me to fetch Rin?"

"Yes," Susumu affirmed and then continued, "She is likely by the ocean again. Make sure to tell her that she's invited to sit with me this evening."

"Yes, my lady, I will see to it," Toki bowed again and exited the lavish quarters. He leisurely made his way through the hallways and out of the immediate gardens surrounding the fortress. He took only a few steps past some fragrant rosemary before he smelled Rin's blood. He immediately broke into a run, hoping to any deity listening that she had merely suffered a clumsy moment on the rocks of the shore.

Unlikely, considering that he could smell the blood from so far away.

"Rin! RIN!" he began to call, running as fast as his legs could carry him. After only a minute, he had reached the area that Rin preferred to sit and tried his best to spot her. He spotted her form peeking out from behind a rock and ran over to find Rin's body sprawled out with bloody claw marks across her neck. "No!" he cried with agonizing feeling to the sky. He knelt beside her and called once more- confirming his worst fears.

Rin was dead.

* * *

><p>"Wind Scar!" cried Inuyasha as he aimed for the pulsating mutated body of Naraku.<p>

The attack didn't do much except for warding off a wayward tentacle from smashing into Kirara and Sango, but the gang of fighters was appreciative of the effort.

Sesshomaru leapt over his half-brother and managed to poison whip Naraku across the face before being swept away by an attack from Kagura.

Kagura's attack didn't get very far- it was intercepted by Sango's boomerang blocking the way. Miroku managed to block a tentacle from interrupting Sango's catch by stabbing through its mucus-covered skin. The monk didn't dare use his wind tunnel- the poisonous insects were forever hovering above the battles fought with Naraku.

An evil laugh resounded from the baboon pelt, and with a turn of the tentacles, Naraku was quickly disappearing with Kagura in one of his miasmas. "Funny how you're so concerned with me, Lord Sesshomaru," he spoke in a taunting voice, "When your precious fortress has been attacked." With that, Naraku and Kagura were gone.

"What was that about?" Kagome asked after lowering her bow, hesitantly looking at Sesshomaru a few paces away.

"Sesshomaru?" Kouga prodded the dog demon, obviously concerned. "What if Naraku went after Rin again?"

Sesshomaru was looking at the spot where Naraku and Kagura had disappeared, seemingly ignoring the wolf.

"Kouga? What was Naraku talking about? Who's Rin?" Sango asked while landing Kirara. She jumped off the cat demon's back and walked over to the gathering of her comrades.

"Rin's a good friend at Sesshomaru's fortress that Naraku has attacked before," Kouga took a good long look at Sesshomaru before growling at the purebred demon, "Well if you ain't gonna go check, I am!" With a gust of wind, Kouga was off in his whirlwind, prompting Hakkaku and Ginta to start their run behind him.

"If Naraku's been there, or going there, we should follow," Kagome said, aiming her comment at Inuyasha and Sesshomaru.

"Keh," Inuyasha scoffed, hating the suggestion. "I never want to go to Sesshomaru's comfy little palace."

At this, Sesshomaru turned and shot a nasty glare at his younger heathen of a half-brother. "This Sesshomaru's fortress was built by my father's father in the founding of the west and would never welcome the likes of bastards and humans."

"But, Milord," Jaken protested, "Isn't Rin a human?"

The sound of Jaken's pain was all that Sesshomaru left behind him when he left in his ball of energy.

"I'll take that exit as a cue to follow," Miroku commented, thrusting his monk's staff out in front of him and beginning to walk in the direction the others had left in.

"Feh!" Inuyasha crossed his arms and planted his feet. "If you think I'm going with ya' you'd be kidding yourself!"

"Come on, Kagome, you can ride with me and Shippo on Kirara," Sango said, ignoring the stubborn half-demon.

"Inuyasha," Kagome said simply, with an annoyed tone. "Even if it's your brother's palace, it's the best lead we have on Naraku."

"Well, if this doesn't go anywhere- and it's not going to- I'm gonna blame you all and you're gonna have to get me some more ramen as payment!" Inuyasha complained as he broke out into a jog to catch his pace up to Miroku's.

* * *

><p>Susumu was devastated.<p>

Rin was wonderful and the best human she'd ever met.

The girl was also Susumu's only hope for Sesshomaru. Without Rin, Susumu feared that Sesshomaru would never find the true powers in his sword… or give her grandchildren.

Susumu spent much her time between sunset yesterday and this morning mourning over the girl's body. She watched as one maid - who had been a friend of Rin's - cleaned the blood from her clothing and neck while blatantly sobbing over the loss.

Toki came almost every hour to sit next to Susumu. He'd cried for almost an hour straight after bringing the body back into the house.

Susumu had sent for a human monk in the neighboring fishing village to be brought in to give Rin a human funeral. Susumu hoped that Sesshomaru would've miraculously made it shortly after the death to restore her life- but too much time had passed.

"My lady," called Toki, whose voice was raspy and broken. "Prince Kouga has arrived and says that your son is probably not too far behind him."

Susumu replaced Rin's limp hand gently on her stomach and stood quickly. "Where is Kouga?" Susumu asked, already rushing towards the door.

"In the main foyer, my lady," Toki replied, following Susumu's quick pace.

Kouga stood upon their entrance and bowed to Susumu. "Is everything alright, my lady?" he asked upon seeing her paler than usual face.

"I am afraid not, Kouga," Susumu started. "Rin has been killed."

Kouga's blue eyes went wide and his mouth was left agape. It took a moment for him to recover before he became angry. His angry words were about to come out of his mouth when both he and Susumu heard the noisy approach of Sesshomaru and Inuyasha's group.

"My lady," a guard interrupted the room's impending uproar. "Lord Sesshomaru has arrived alongside a few demons and humans. Shall I permit them in?"

Susumu gave her permission to the guard and followed him to the main entrance of the fortress' home. "Oh my," she commented when seeing the approaching group. "Would that be the half-brother?" Susumu asked Kouga.

"Yes, that's Inuyasha and his group."

"He is almost the perfect image of their father…" Susumu commented quietly, and then added with the ghost of a laugh, "Except those adorable little ears on the top of his head. Is that the fire-rat robe I see him sporting? That is a timeless relic of their father's."

Kouga decided not to say anything back to the demoness and instead let his thoughts wander to Rin and the predicament her death now put their Naraku-hunting party in.

"Have them meet me in the formal throne room, Kouga," Susumu said after a short silence. "I'll be there in a moment." With that, she left with her fur-lined blue coat fluttering behind her.

Kouga followed her direction and met the group outside to lead them to the throne room.

* * *

><p>An: Sorry for the longer wait, midterms were a little more pressing than writing... Hope the wait was worth it!


	9. Chapter 9

An: The long wait was evil of me. Please excuse the lateness- my personal life prevented me from writing the update you all deserve!

Also, would anyone be interested in a kind of 'bonus chapter,' in which Rin is seen growing up or how she came to be at the fortress?

* * *

><p>The throne room was a grand place - numerous stairs led up to the circular throne made of white stone to the top, where Susumu was currently seated. Sesshomaru took only a few leaps to come to the top, and was shocked to find Rin's body laid out beside his mother. It took him one sniff of the air to determine that she was dead.<p>

Inuyasha and Kouga led the rest of the group up the stairs, arriving only moments after Sesshomaru.

"Dearest Rin," Kouga said with a sorrowful voice. He brushed past the stock-still Sesshomaru to kneel next to Rin's body and bow his head in reverence, cradling one of her limp hands in both of his.

"What is this all about, Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha questioned, genuinely confused as to Kouga's reaction to the dead girl who looked to be around Kagome and Sango's age.

"Is this Rin?" Kagome asked, worried over Kouga's uncharacteristic sadness.

"Yes," Susumu answered, eyeing the strangely dressed girl openly with her sharp golden eyes. She stood from her throne and the group immediately knew that this was one powerful demoness standing before them. "I am Lady Susumu- Sesshomaru's mother."

Inuyasha's ears immediately went into a perky curious position and the rest of the group offered awkward bows, unsure if they were welcome before the mother of the human and half demon hating Sesshomaru.

Sango was surprised that Miroku hadn't asked Susumu to bear his children yet… no one could deny her astounding beauty and grace.

Kagome took a couple of steps forward to stand next to Sesshomaru, hesitant to break any kind of dog-demon decorum. "Do you think Naraku killed her?" Kagome asked, trying to look at the deceased young woman's body without really looking at it.

"He sure did," Inuyasha said. "I can smell his stench on her. Those claw marks," he pointed to her neck, "Are a lot like the ones Naraku gave to Kikyo when he pretended to be me."

"Sesshomaru," Susumu drew out his name, almost as if she were teasing him, shocking all but Kouga and Jaken. "Why do you stand there as if frozen in time?"

Instead of verbally answering, Sesshomaru drew his Tenseiga. Kouga stood and blocked Rin's body while Inuyasha stood by ready to draw Tessaiga.

"What kind of crap are you pulling, Sesshomaru?" Kouga growled at him.

"Step aside, wolf," Sesshomaru said. "This sword can resurrect the dead."

Kouga followed his direction, but stood not too far off, just in case. It was hard to trust Sesshomaru after he had hurt Rin so many times before.

Sesshomaru connected his mind with Tenseiga and felt its power rolling up his arm, ruffling the fur of his mokomoko. A few moments passed like this, and there were no signs of the undertakers from hell. His mind clashed as if in battle with Tenseiga, pushing forth all of his demonic power and imploring the power of his sire to come forth. There were no minions from Hell to cut down.

He couldn't resurrect her.

"What is it, Sesshomaru?" Susumu practically purred. It was finally time for her late husband's advice to be enacted for Sesshomaru after centuries of waiting. "Can you not see the undertakers? Sesshomaru," Susumu almost smiled, but managed to keep it from her face, "did you think yourself a god- choosing who lives and who dies at any given moment?"

The whole room stayed silent- all eyes were on the mother and son.

"Sesshomaru, Rin's soul has been taken to the underworld. It's been there for some time now. You cannot just expect a soul to saunter on back after so long."

"You knew I could save her?" Sesshomaru asked- his voice harsh and strained.

"Of course I did. I was mated for a span of centuries to the demon that sword was made from and created for," Susumu said as if this was the most obvious thing in the world. She thrust her hand into her kimono and pulled out a bulky necklace on a pearl chain and a large stone at the bottom. "But, there might be a way for you to save her yet. You must use my Meido Stone as a gateway to the underworld and bring back Rin yourself."

Sesshomaru considered this, and decided to trust his mother when he felt a warm pulsation from Tenseiga.

"However, you must find a way back yourself," Susumu warned. "If you don't, you will die and remain in Hell for all of eternity with nothing but Tenseiga and the dead at your side."

For all that were listening closely, which was most of the room, Sesshomaru audibly huffed at his mother- the ultimate go-ahead.

Susumu fingered the Meido and a giant black dog from Hell materialized from the gem and cut open a hole to the underworld, prompting Sesshomaru to follow without hesitation.

"So… do we just wait around here now?" Inuyasha asked and was immediately 'sat.'

This was going to be an amusing wait, thought Susumu.

* * *

><p>The underworld was just as cold and dark as any fable had ever described in Sesshomaru's adolescence. Its winds whipped around Sesshomaru and rustled his clothing and hair- likely causing knots in the silver strands. It wasn't quiet, like the dog-demon had assumed from the stories. The wind made most of the noise, but beyond that, Sesshomaru could hear the sounds of the deceased. They moaned, screamed, and spoke so many languages that Sesshomaru's supersensitive ears were overrun with stimulation.<p>

He thought of calling her name- but what would be the point? Sesshomaru could tell that thousands- if not, millions- of the dead were just below his cliff-like path. Sesshomaru wasn't even sure of where he was headed. This little path was the only thing he could clearly see and his best shot of getting anywhere.

The dog demon's black boots stopped when his golden eyes sensed movement. Suddenly, two massive hellhounds jumped in front of his path and growled menacingly, which surely would've petrified anyone lower than Sesshomaru in an instant. Without a second thought, Sesshomaru drew his Tenseiga and made quick work of slashing at the hounds.

Sesshomaru landed back on the ground and looked up to the hellhounds only to see their rotted flesh pulling itself back together in a manner much like Naraku. Tenseiga could cut them, but apparently not slay them. Sesshomaru jumped again to combo strikes from Tenseiga with his poison whip to end with no change.

* * *

><p>"It's freaky that we can see him in Hell, Lady Susumu," Kouga commented to the forlorn-looking demoness as their odd group watched Sesshomaru pointlessly slash at two hell hounds. "Why can't he cut them down?"<p>

"Because he's a weak bastard," Inuyasha muttered, loudly enough to earn a smack from Kagome and a chuckle from Susumu.

"Sesshomaru, my dearest son, is weak," Susumu agreed with a distant look about her face as she gazed at the image produced by her Meido Stone.

"How do you mean, my lady?" squawked Jaken, offended that his most powerful master could be insulted by his own mother. "Lord Sesshomaru is the most powerful demon of the land!"

Susumu sighed and slumped more deeply into her throne, taking care not to disturb Rin's body. "He may well be the most powerful demon in this world, but he still cannot rival his father. He has not yet uncovered the most powerful technique of the Tenseiga- the Meido Zangetsuha. The fang is powerful enough to send multiple enemies directly to the pits of hell."

The group sat in almost an awed silence, all connecting their thoughts to how powerful Sesshomaru is, and how much the former Lord of the West must have been.

"The late lord must have been a formidable enemy," Sango commented. She could not fathom ever having to slay someone more powerful than Naraku or Sesshomaru.

"My… uh, Sesshomaru's father, that is, how powerful was he?" Inuyasha asked, making Susumu finally bring her eyes from the battle in hell to her late husband's bastard son.

"Powerful enough to rid this land of all his enemies and to protect the human woman he loved," Susumu answered to the shock of all. "Once Sesshomaru passes this test," she continued, "He will be on the same level as your shared father. This demoness does not wish to pick a fight with that. You will be more than welcome to try him- Inuyasha…" she drew out his name in a teasing manner, catching the half-demon's eyes with her own and raising her eyebrow in jest.

* * *

><p>Sesshomaru was panting. He had never worked so hard in battle to make no progress since he was a pup training against his father.<p>

Now, the hellhounds were charging him, breaking the cliff he treaded into tiny bits. This was making Sesshomaru enraged, almost enraged enough to transform into his natural beast form…

When he almost decided to try, a surge from Tenseiga prompted him to rethink. Sesshomaru had never felt such a surge of power from the sword- he distinctly felt his father's presence guiding him in a large slash which had no hope of connecting to the hellhounds many paces away. As he raised the fang from heaven, he saw the words in is head and shouted, "Meido Zangetsuha!"

He felt the very fabric of the world around him ripple as he tore through the hellhounds. They both dissipated into a black void, which slowly formed a window to his mother's throne room.

The green imp didn't hesitate to scream, "Lord Sesshomaru!"

"Sesshomaru," He saw his mother call. "Come through the pathway the Meido Zangetsuha has made and return to the world of the living!"

Sesshomaru began to walk on the new path forming on the other side of the gateway from hell. "This Sesshomaru searches for Rin."

The group in the throne room watched helplessly as the Meido closed and cut off their view from the Meido stone into hell. They were left in silence and worry as they waited for any sign that Sesshomaru, hopefully with Rin, was returning.

Susumu was biting her lip… she was his mother, after all.

* * *

><p>He had only been walking what seemed like a few minutes when he heard melodious singing in the distance.<p>

"_Did I dream you dreamed about me? Were you here when I was flotsam? Now my foolish boat is leaning, broken lovelorn on your rocks."_

Unmistakably, that was Rin's voice and song echoing around in the abyss. It startled Sesshomaru momentarily- her soul was singing the song meant for him even in Hell?

As far as he remembered, the song was over. How would he find her now?

"_For you sang…"_

She was continuing? Had not the story ended there?

"_Touch me not, touch me not, come back tomorrow."_

Shit. He'd told her that she was nothing and that he wished to have nothing to do with her. As a human, at least.

"_Oh my heart, oh my heart shies from the sorrow."_

Guilt wasn't a word in Sesshomaru's vocabulary. Sesshomaru could kill for petty things, never lift a claw to those in need, and scorn anyone nearby. Yet, these words panged the 'heart' of Sesshomaru. Yes, his 'heart.' That infernal 'heart' running his body and mind which knotted up every time he heard Rin sing and stopped dead when he saw her broken body upon his return.

"_I'm as puzzled as a newborn child. I'm as riddled as the tide."_

Her voice was getting louder- a sign that Sesshomaru was surely getting closer. His eyes shifted endlessly, trying to find the slightest glimmer of light to aid his eyes in searching for Rin's soul.

"_Should I stand amid the breakers?"_

There- a glimmer of grey met Sesshomaru's eyes. He picked up his pace to a run and was met with hundreds of thousands of dead souls reaching for his boots. Where was Rin's soul in this great writhing mass of the dead?

"_Or shall I lie with death my bride?"_

The bodies kept reaching and finally one weathered hand grasped Sesshomaru's pant leg. What did they want? To be saved? Sesshomaru drew his Tenseiga and with a massive pulse of power, purified the surrounding souls in one giant sweep of his sword. The souls seemed to fold onto themselves and disappear from Sesshomaru's sight, leaving one visible body in their wake.

"_Hear me sing: 'Swim to me, swim to me, let me enfold you.'"_

"Rin," Sesshomaru said with authority, deciding to approach the figure. The song was still being sung- this body was the only one left. It had to be Rin.

Sesshomaru took a few great paces and stopped just short of the figure- which wore a plain grey yukata and stood still, its back to Sesshomaru.

"_Here I am."_

Sesshomaru reached out the hand which wasn't holding Tenseiga and stretched out to try and touch the soul's mass of black hair. His hand did not connect and fell through the shape of the soul. "Rin, stop this," he said, allowing his voice to veer from its normal monotone.

"_Here I am…"_

Sesshomaru put Tenseiga in its sheath and rounded the figure to meet its' eyes. He was noticeably surprised when instead of the rich brown eyes Rin was known for he saw grey, lifeless eyes staring past him.

"…_waiting to hold you.'"_

Once Rin's soul had sung its last note, Sesshomaru brought his face directly in front of its eyes. The grey orbs didn't follow his movement or register his presence. They just stared, unblinking, at some distant point.

"Rin," he said again, trying to bring the shade to attention.

The soul kept its lifelessness, remaining impervious to Sesshomaru's movement and voice.

Sesshomaru, frustrated at the lack of response, let out a growl that echoed through the vast empty space surrounding them.

"Rin!" he shouted in his raised voice, hurting his own sensitive ears when the sound rebounded. "Rin, come back to the land of the living, I…"

Sesshomaru stopped, catching himself before he lowered his standards.

But what was the point? In Hell there were no standards- only the dead. Death is the ultimate equalizer. Sesshomaru, though living, knew he must speak as an equal.

"I beg you, Rin," the Great Lord Sesshomaru pleaded before the soul, "Please return to the land of the living. Return with this Sesshomaru… return with me."

And finally- a response. The grey lifeless eyes blinked and focused on the significantly taller form of the demon lord.

"Rin," Sesshomaru called again, stepping closer to the soul. "Rin, can you hear me?"

The eyes blinked again, slowly, giving Sesshomaru all the response he could have asked for.

"Rin, please, follow me to the living world. You can go back to life," he pleaded, wishing he could simply pick the form up and fly back to his fortress.

The grey eyes were deepening, shimmering with signs of life- of the brown-eyed Rin Sesshomaru had engraved in his mind.

The talking was working- so he continued, "Rin, I pledge anything to you- anything you could ever want I shall supply for you. Just return to- to life."

The eyes were almost completely brown now, and were blinking more regularly.

It took a few moments of silence for Sesshomaru to finally plead, "Return to _me_, Rin."

Her mouth opened, trying to form a word, but couldn't quite bring it forth.

"I'll give my entire being to you," he promised, finally seeing the brown eyes focus on his own.

"My Lord?" she asked, very softly.

"Yes," Sesshomaru answered, seeing recognition come to her face. "Please return with me."

She asked a little louder now, "With you, my lord?" She paused, and Sesshomaru was most relieved to see a small smile cross her face, "I thought you cared not for human maids?"

Sesshomaru took a step forward to close the small distance between them, and was visibly relieved when he could touch her cheek with his large hand. "This Sesshomaru cares greatly for Rin."

They shared a tender moment, with Sesshomaru's gaze focused solely on Rin's closed eyes and enjoying his firm hand caressing her face.

A rattle beneath their feet cut their moment short.

Sesshomaru drew Rin as close to his armor-covered body as was safe and held her shoulders and the rocky world of hell clamored around them. Sesshomaru and Rin saw a gigantic, disfigured form rise from a large crack in the ground not too far away and watched as its soulless eyes found them huddled together.

"It is the Guardian of Hell," Sesshomaru commented, evaluating his ability to defeat such a formidable foe. "I won't let him keep you," he promised.

Rin's eyes were terrified, but took comfort in Sesshomaru's honest tone.

The Guardian of Hell was a mute, soulless creature. It only guarded the dead and led the minions of Hell in their mission to collect the souls of the deceased. With Sesshomaru here, the order of Hell was coming apart. The only purposes of the creature were being convoluted by the power of Sesshomaru. Already his fang could kill the minions. Already he had purified hundreds of souls to promote them to heaven. Already he had taken the creature's only purposes away.

And the creature was not about to let a living soul take what was his- the Soul of a Damned.

The Guardian of Hell lifted one of his much-too-long arms and swept it back to the ground again. Figures of small people appeared to stand on his palm and began to walk toward Sesshomaru and Rin.

Sesshomaru was confused- these souls didn't seem to be any more powerful than the ones he had previously purified, yet they were behaving differently. These ones were walking to them, not crawling, with purpose.

They had finally come close enough that Sesshomaru could see them all properly. They were the souls of mere humans- what threat was this? Sesshomaru could make out that they were led by a grown male and female, while three younger ones, Sesshomaru was fairly sure were boys, followed. They all had the eyes of the dead as Rin had only moments ago.

They kept approaching, and when they were only meters away, Rin quickly gasped and began to shake with the magnitude of her cries.

"Rin," the grown male called, his voice distorted but obviously human. "Rin," he called again. The rest of the souls joined in, calling to the human in Sesshomaru's arms who's crying and shaking only magnified with every call.

Sesshomaru took a great leap back, bringing Rin with him. He brought her closer, using Mokomoko to shield her from his armor, and tried to calm her. "Rin," he said as calmly as he could, "What is the matter?" his voice fell on deaf ears.

Sesshomaru looked up once again to the advancing forms when it clicked.

These souls… these people, were Rin's family.


	10. Chapter 10

Rin's mind was put into the body of a child. The exact age of her life's greatest tragedy.

Her father told her to run. Her oldest brother hoisted her through their only window and yelled at her not to stay.

"Rin!" she heard her brothers call from the window.

Then she heard their screams and moans of pain. Rin ran to the field and turned to watch her family die at the hands of bandits. They did not even spare her youngest brother, who hadn't even reached his tenth summer.

The bandits raided their small home, taking her mother's only kimono and her father's farming tools. One of the men raised his torch and set the wooden building ablaze.

She cried silently as she watched her home burn to the ground.

Rin was watching it all over again, now with the added pain of hearing her family call out to her from their positions on the ground in front of their burning home. They reached for her, calling with dead, unseeing eyes.

Rin knew this wasn't real. She absolutely knew it. She could feel Sesshomaru's arms and mokomoko around her. This fact did not stop her from crying and wishing that she could move her body to theirs. As a child, she had been thankful for her life. Now, there was a small part of her that wished that she had died alongside them.

"Rin!" she heard the alarmed voice of Sesshomaru call out to her through her visions, distracting her from the sight of her dead family. "Rin," he called again.

Sesshomaru… he had come all the way to Hell to keep her alive. Did this mean that he felt she was worth more than a maid - more than just a human woman?

It was worth living to find out the answer. One day, she would return to her family. But for now, Rin wanted to live.

She opened her eyes to find them covered by Sesshomaru's large hand, blocking the view of her family's souls.

"Sesshomaru," Rin said, only loud enough for him to hear. "I want to go back home."

Sesshomaru removed his hand from her face and drew Tenseiga, prepared to defend them from the approaching souls. "Do you wish for me to purify them? They will be promoted from this place."

Rin turned her head, meeting her brown eyes with his, and nodded slowly. She closed her eyes after feeling his arm raise to cut through them, not wanting to be reminded any more of their deaths at the hands of bandits.

Sesshomaru slashed down through the souls, feeling a buzz draw up through Tenseiga and into his arm as he did so. Sesshomaru lowered the fang to find the previously dead eyes shining and their mouths smiling at him. It was an understood thank you they all gave to him before fading away.

The Guardian of Hell threw his long arms around his head, obviously enraged. Sesshomaru made quick work of drawing Rin in closer and hoisting her up with him as he opened a mastered, full-circle Meido Zangetsuha, with little time to spare as the Guardian's dark shadow approached.

Sesshomaru flew through the opening to his fortress with ease, landing on the stairs of his mother's throne room without Rin in his arms. Alarmed, Sesshomaru looked around him and jumped the distance to Rin's body just in time for her eyes to shift under her lids.

Kouga saw it too exclaimed in joy, "She's alive!"

Rin's eyes fluttered open as if she was waking from a dream and she inhaled so violently that it caused her to cough.

To the shock of most people in the room, Sesshomaru put his hand on her cheek and gazed at her with no mask to cover his affection.

A few tender moments passed between the human and demon - which were verging on awkward - when Susumu broke the silence.

"This is a good omen, my dears. Let us celebrate with good food and good times!" she said as she fluidly stood from her throne and ordered a few servants standing by into action. "Come," she said to the group, having to grab Toki by the haori to lead them out of the room to leave Rin and Sesshomaru alone.

"Was that real?" Rin asked, keeping her voice quiet even though the others had left.

Sesshomaru ran his thumb across her cheek, trying to decide if he should acknowledge what had gone down in hell. "Yes, it was all real," he confirmed, sliding his hand from her face and into her hair.

"You don't…" Rin started, shying from what she wanted to say.

"I don't…?"

Rin blushed, not used to the casual words and tone he was using with her. She took a deep breath and finished, "You don't have to pretend to love me."

Sesshomaru blinked; he was shocked that Rin would suggest such a thing. Although, he thought, it was not unwarranted. He had scorned her many times.

"Were you deaf in Hell?" he asked with a tone Rin had never heard from him before. "I promised you, Rin, my entire being. I promise you anything you desire…" He left off in a sultry-sounding voice and matched the notes by letting his claw run through the length of her wavy hair.

"But you've already given me so much. You restored to me my life. You delivered my family to Heaven. I would be selfish to ask for more." Rin let her eyes finally meet Sesshomaru's once again.

"Then, maybe I could suggest a trade?" Sesshomaru started, keeping a straight face. "I trade everything I have and the offer of being my closest companion with your voice. You must sing for me, anytime I ask. And laugh."

With only a moment to let his words settle, Rin's mouth turned into a warm smile. "I love you, Lord Sesshomaru. I will accept your trade," she said, letting her joyous laughter spill from her throat.

When her elation wound down, Sesshomaru returned her confession with his own, "I love you," he said as he drew her face closer to his own. "Lady Rin…" he breathed before meeting her lips in a kiss.

* * *

><p>The group had settled, almost in comfort, around the grand dining table. Susumu sat at the head of the table, in the absence of Sesshomaru, and insisted that Inuyasha sit at her right hand. Susumu's eyes were constantly evaluating the hybrid of human and demon- from his bare feet to the fuzzy ears atop his head. Inuyasha was, on the other hand, constantly evaluating the food he was shoveling into his mouth.<p>

Kagome sat on Inuyasha's other side and noticed the long looks from Susumu. It gave her a chill to see Sesshomaru's eyes- the eyes of a predator- on a dainty woman's face, evaluating her boyfriend like a helpless puppy.

"Kagome, was it?" Susumu asked casually.

Kagome felt a chill go down her spine when she realized that she had been staring at Susumu and that Susumu had most definitely noticed. "Yes, Lady Susumu. Thank you again for inviting us into your home and to your table."

"I'm afraid this is no longer my table, dear. It is Sesshomaru's and has been Sesshomaru's since his father's untimely demise." Susumu shot a quick glance at Inuyasha, who had lost his previous tempo at the mention of his father. "However, Sesshomaru won't mind because he is so… preoccupied with his restored beloved."

Miroku let out a perverted half-laugh at this, earning himself a pinch from Sango.

"I was quite surprised to see Sesshomaru so… emotional," Kouga commented. "I was saddened by Rin's passing, but Sesshomaru showed more emotions in Hell than I've ever seen from him in my lifetime."

"Even in my lifetime," Susumu agreed. "The most emotional I had ever seen him get was when he was a pup, and he really only showed frustration. Never heartfelt sadness, as he experienced today."

"Who exactly is Rin?" Inuyasha asked after swallowing his food.

Kouga replied, "She used to be a simple human maid here. But within the last year she has caused some changes around the fortress…"

"Rin has become," Susumu thought before continuing, "What your mother was to your father."

Inuyasha was quite shocked at this. He had always assumed that his father must have had a heart similar to his own to have loved his mother so much. But compared to Sesshomaru… could his father really have been like his cold-hearted brother?

"While you may be the image of your father," Susumu commented, "Sesshomaru is almost identical in personality. I'm afraid it was from being raised by your brute of a father. If he had been closer to me, well, he would at least have a sense of humor."

"Was the late lord really so… cold?" Sango asked, remembering their not-so-fond encounters with Sesshomaru.

"Mostly… until he met Inuyasha's human mother," Susumu smirked. "Though I often wished for her demise, she is what made him so powerful. When he fell in love with Izayoi, he had something to fight for. He died fighting for her, as the story goes, and thus mastered his power."

"Didn't Sesshomaru just accomplish the same?" Kouga wondered.

Susumu smiled, letting her white fangs peak out of her perfectly pink mouth to say, "He has reached the same level of power as his father. He hasn't fully grasped the concept of protecting loved ones- he still can be so much more."

"But he proved that he loves Rin!" Toki protested from his place among the guards, earning him a glare from his superior.

"Yes, he has proven that he loves her; but there are a few more lessons he must learn… things that his father would have guided Sesshomaru to had he survived," Susumu stated, glancing at Inuyasha once again to remember her old mate's face more clearly. "How would your group like to rest here for a while, Inuyasha? I suggest you all get rest before departing on your quest."

Inuyasha looked to his companions for affirmation, and then agreed to stay until they knew where they were going to head in their search for Naraku.

"Any ideas about where Naraku might have gone?" Kouga asked the table after contemplating this question himself.

After a moment of silence, Miroku answered, "He's probably going to lie low for a while, don't you think? He might send out some of his reincarnations or minions out, but he's probably staying out of harm's way while Sesshomaru is angry."

"I agree with you," Inuyasha said as he stuck his hands into the sleeves of his haori. "Even Naraku is smart enough to know not to taunt Sesshomaru out of fear of a poison claw cutting through you."

"Something you have experienced, I suppose?" Susumu surmised from the unsoundly grunt.

Kagome rested a hand on Inuyasha's forearm and answered for him, "Once. But they have put such things behind them to achieve the common goal of defeating Naraku."

"Once we take down the bastard, I'm gonna beat up Sesshomaru real good." Inuyasha reveled in the thought only long enough for the dining room's doors to slide open.

"I invite you, Half-breed, to try," Sesshomaru said as he entered the room to all the servants and guards bowing lowly.

"Sesshomaru," Susumu greeted, happy to see Rin a step behind him but unhappy to smell that they had not made her a grandpup.

"Mother," he said in turn, waiting for her to stand and move to the opposite end of the table so he could take his accustomed spot. He gestured for Rin to take the seat to his left next to Miroku and turned his body in her direction, trying to ignore the presence of his half-brother on his right.

"Lady Susumu invited us to stay until we know where Naraku has gone," Kagome said, trying to break the silence that had collapsed on the room.

Sesshomaru turned his face to Kagome and his brother and nodded in a strange sort of affirmation.

Inuyasha sat in confusion as he watched a couple of maids serve his brother and Rin food, only letting his ears catch negligible bits of the others' conversations. Questions about this house- this very room- plagued his mind.

If his father had survived, would he have been raised in this very home? Alongside Sesshomaru and Susumu?

Would he have been given the opportunity to become as powerful as Sesshomaru?

Would he have met Kagome? Kikyo?

Would Naraku even be a threat if his father were still around?

Would his father be proud of him?

"Inuyasha wields the Tessaiga very well," Inuyasha heard Kouga say, bringing him out of his thoughts. A compliment from the wolf?

"Interesting… I may ask for a demonstration," Susumu commented as she took a dainty sip of her tea.

"Demonstration?" Inuyasha questioned.

"Yes, I was around your father for centuries. I know how he wielded his sword and could tell you if you harness its full power properly. I'm not too surprised Sesshomaru hasn't offered to help your form- he always admired your father's fang."

Sesshomaru ignored the snide comment in his direction, preferring to let his gaze set on Rin's plate. She hadn't eaten much. Neither had he, really. Hunger was never a big issue for him.

"May I retire, my lord?" she asked when he had shifted his gaze up from her plate to her face.

Sesshomaru nodded and gracefully lifted himself from the table to lend her a hand in getting up. The servants bowed once again as they exited the dining room, Toki and two other guards trailed behind.

* * *

><p>An: I hope you've enjoyed! Only a little more to go before the end!


	11. Chapter 11

A/n: Most horrible author ever, here! So sorry about the obscene wait. (Excuses: I am in law school and am in charge of two small children.) I hope the length makes up for the hiatus somewhat. The end of the story is near.

* * *

><p>Sesshomaru led Rin away from the servants' quarters, greatly confusing the small woman. They continued to walk closer and closer to Sesshomaru's rooms and father from the servants' quarters, making Rin a little more nervous than before.<p>

When they arrived outside of Sesshomaru's sliding doors, he turned and pulled Rin close to his chest. "You should rest," Sesshomaru said to Rin as he gently brushed a claw through her wavy hair. "It has been a long day."

"I feel like the day's only just begun," Rin whispered back, embarrassed that Sesshomaru would openly touch her in front of Toki and two other guards. "I should go back to my room…"

"I shall guard her. Leave," he ordered the trio of guards.

"Yes, my lord," Toki replied, leading the other two others away from Sesshomaru's quarters and down the vast hallway.

"You will stay here, in my room, from now on," Sesshomaru said gently to Rin, keeping a hand on her hair. "You will be safe here."

Rin was not so sure about that, but allowed Sesshomaru to guide her through his sliding door and into his incredibly large living space. Though the sun had gone down, Rin could see the expensive flooring beneath her feet and the outlines of carpets across the room. Sesshomaru glided past her lazily after sliding the door shut behind them and lit a few candles, throwing light on the large sleeping mat, which looked unused.

Rin was staring at a nearby wall scroll when Sesshomaru appeared in her line of vision again, handing her a haori which looked much too big for her.

Rin took the white silk into her hands and inferred that he was offering it to her for sleep. She spotted the room divider next to his wardrobe and made a beeline for it to preserve her modesty, though an inner part of her mind thought that her modesty would not last much longer. When she had finished tying the haori's inner belt and draping her borrowed kimono over the divider, Rin tried in vain to slow her quickly beating heart as she peaked around the decorated wood and rice paper.

Sesshomaru stood next to his sleeping mat, his armor discarded in the corner of the room alongside Tenseiga. His golden eyes reflected the low light of the room in a flash of green, inviting her silently to come over.

Rin gave the bottom hem of the haori one last tug before coming out from behind the divider, unused to the short length of it falling just below her knees. "I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep."

"Do not be afraid," Sesshomaru said in a particularly low voice. "No one else may hurt you."

Rin stood before the demon lord, hoping he would be more verbal about what he was thinking, as he had often been while she was mute. When Sesshomaru made no other movement, Rin pulled back the heavy blankets of the bed and ensconced herself in them, thankful for the protection against the cold winter air. Rin sighed happily, allowing herself to enjoy the expensive blankets and not missing her servant's bed.

Sesshomaru took one last surveying look around the room before sitting heavily next to the sleeping mat, slyly sticking his exposed feet under mokomoko.

Rin was wondering what Sesshomaru was expecting. Well… _she knew_, of course. Sharing a one-room hut with your parents clues you into things pretty early in life... and the other servants talked, of course.

"Rin," Sesshomaru said pointedly, "calm down."

No doubt her heart was doing backflips. "I think it will be sometime before I can sleep, my lord."

Sesshomaru gave her a sort of huff, cluing Rin into the fact that her last statement annoyed him. "Sesshomaru."

Rin gave him a slow smile, catching onto his meaning. Before she could react, Sesshomaru's hand was on her shoulder, gently pushing her to lie down.

"You should sing then," Sesshomaru said in a tone Rin did not recognize while his eyes wandered over her face before finally meeting her eyes.

"Very well, Sesshomaru," Rin said softly, her heart still pounding away.

As she began to sing a song about a tree and a cloud, Sesshomaru's gentle hand glided downward.

* * *

><p>Rin slept more peacefully than in anytime she could recall. The warmth of Sesshomaru at her back and his bed fought off the cold of the night and allowed her peace.<p>

Rin's mind allowed her to dream, remembering her memories from so long ago…

It was always warm in our house. In the dead winter, when snow surrounded our house, it was never cold within the walls of my home. Mama told me that papa built it with his own hands. Papa was always warm, he would smile and laugh and sing to us all. He would teach us all songs while we all huddled around each other and ate the food mama made. Maybe that's why the house was always so warm… we kept it warm, huddled all together.

Mama told stories while she cooked. I was always listening because I didn't have much to do around our little home. Papa wouldn't let me follow him and my brothers to the field, leaving me to do menial tasks my mother bid me to do- likely so that I wouldn't wander off.

Mama told me one story more than all the others- about papa building our home. He fell in love with mama when he saw her pass by his field almost daily when mama was young. Papa said it was like she was a lovely cloud passing by him as he stayed in one spot. Mama said he was like a tree, tall and strong. He always stood in his field, tending his crops, smiling at her as she passed by. Mama added- when papa wasn't around- that she passed by his field just to see him.

To prove himself to grandpa, papa built our house with only his hands and his love for mama. Grandpa was so impressed, as the story goes, that he immediately consented to the marriage and even bought mama a beautiful formal kimono for their ceremony.

Mama told that story all the time and I never tired of it in the short time I lived with my family. Papa even made a song up about it one evening while we ate our dinner. He sang it so much that the words remain with me today. It is the song about a tree that fell in love with a cloud. It is one of my favorite songs that have grown very close to me as I've grown up away from papa.

_Floating on by in the sky… the tree wishes to reach that high… the could goes away…but the tree must stay…_

The kimono from mama and papa's wedding was always folded neatly up in a large chest in our hut. On very special festival days, like the harvest festival, mama would wear it. Every fall I can remember she wore it for that occasion, and every time I saw the kimono it was still just as grand, if not more, as I remembered it. The under layer was a cream white made of nicer material; nothing too expensive as my grandfather couldn't afford too much when he gave it as a gift. The outer layer was one of the most beautiful in our little town, and I swear it was when mama wore it. The outer layer was a darker red with the image of a crane- a creature of luck- sewn into its back. The matching obi was always my favorite piece for it was yellow, my favorite color. Mama always looked so beautiful during these special occasions. Papa was proud to have her as a wife and to have three sons from her/

The bandits took that kimono alongside my family and home.

After the bandits came and destroyed many homes and families in our village, I was left an orphan with no place to shelter me. The village head had been killed and his larger home burned, leaving a distasteful, greedy man to take his place. This man cared not for the great misfortune that befell our village, and cared even less for me. He gave me a sorry excuse for a shack to live in; it was right on the river where I could smell the very fish I wasn't allowed to eat and starved.

I was beaten for eating. I was beaten for living. Until, one day, the most ethereal being I had ever seen appeared across the river scooping up handfuls of water to drink.

"Hello," its voice said frailly. "Why are you such as sad little girl?"

As a child, I was shocked that someone so beautiful would talk to me and not be angry when I didn't answer. At the time, I hadn't spoken a word since my family had been killed.

I understood quite clearly that this beautiful person was an old demon, she was Lady Kasumi. Mama had often told tales of demons, but I felt that this demon would not hurt me. What more could it do that humans had not?

Lady Kasumi put two and two together and realized that I was living alone in that shack on the river and immediately offered me warm meal if I followed her.

I did.

It was the best decision of my life.

Lady Kasumi introduced herself officially after about an hour of me following her like a lost puppy. She told me that she was on her way back to her home- which I now know as the Western fortress- from buying fine silks around the surrounding villages. She stopped in the next village and bought a fine meal from a cowering vendor and graciously fed me more than I had eaten since mama had last cooked.

"Would you like to come to my home?" she asked. "I promise that you can eat all you'd like. I'll bet I can even find you a warm bed."

My answer was found in continuing following her. We walked more than I had ever dreamed. My world consisted of my home village and its surrounding fields. We walked into a whole new world and I still vividly remember the joy of exploring the forests and towns we passed through.

After a few days, we came upon the fortress. My first impression was fear. The great stone walls were taller than anything I had ever encountered and the guards were more terrifying than any tale mama wove on a dark night.

Lady Kasumi took me into the fortress and I followed her footsteps as closely as I could in the expansive hallways and rooms. She led us to great sliding doors that belong to Lady Susumu and we were ushered in by the two demon guards on either side.

Lady Kasumi bowed before Susumu, who sat on her great throne surrounded with more wealth than my entire village had ever seen. It is strange to think that years later Sesshomaru confessed his mutual love for me on that very throne.

I stood stock-still, unsure of what to do and awed by the presence of so many obviously powerful demons.

Lady Kasumi offered up her procured silks and waited for the approval of Susumu. After her lady had consented, Lady Kasumi then calmly asked if she could take me, the cowering human girl, as an apprentice within the fortresses' walls.

"Make sure the girl causes no trouble," was all the permission Susumu gave, and the guideline I kept in the forefront of my mind throughout my early years in the fortress.

Lady Kasumi thanked Susumu generously and took my hand to leave the throne room. She led me to the servants' quarters and into the room I called my own for all of my years as a servant.

She immediately began teaching me everything she knew about kimonos. A couple of other servants sewed the fine silks, but not without the clear supervision from Lady Kasumi, and later on, me. She taught me how to clean the kimono, kosode, and obi. Most importantly, she taught me how to dress ladies no matter their shape or colorings. Lady Kasumi herself had water-colored hair and grey eyes, and often told me that she would be my greatest and final test to dress.

The day after I had been brought to the fortress, I met the demon that would change my childhood. I met Toki, the burgeoning water-demon guard who made my time as a servant happy.

I was carrying a cleaned kimono back to Lady Susumu's chambers when I tripped on an unexpected step and ripped a small seam on the hem of the kimono. The way Toki remembers the incident: I was on the verge of tears and panicking, albeit silently, when he came across me in the hallway leading up to Susumu's rooms.

"It's alright, little girl," he said very sweetly with a welcoming smile on his face. He tells me that when he saw the bruises on my face, the only remainder from my time in my old village, he instantly felt a need to protect me.

I cried upon hearing his words- they were kind and his voice sounded like my father's. I was also scared at the time- I was only allowed to stay if I didn't cause trouble, and yet I had ripped a kimono that looked more expensive than what my life was worth.

"It's okay! It's okay… I won't hurt you, I promise," he said to me, lifting my underweight body from the silk and setting it next to the kimono. He later told me that he thought that he had scared me. "Look, I can fix this…" he said as he searched around his haori's breast for something. "There!" he said in satisfaction, "I'll just fix this little rip and nobody will know but us, okay?" Toki pulled the rip back together with a minimal stitch with his handy needle and thread.

I bowed to him as low as I could manage after seeing him fix the situation, the only way I could thank him.

Toki laughed at me and pulled me up, gently setting the kimono in my outstretched arms. "Go on straight ahead, little girl. If you get into anymore tight spots, just call for me, okay? My name is Toki."

With that, I delivered that kimono to Susumu's rooms; it was never discovered to have a ripped hem.

The next night there was to be a grand celebration in the fortress. Lady Kasumi told me the reason was that Lord Sesshomaru, the son of Susumu, was coming home.

This had no meaning for me at the time other than that we would be running around doing various chores until Susumu called to be dressed for dinner.

I was running to the garden under Lady Kasumi's direct order to get a complementary flower for Susumu's hair when I happened upon one of the gate's regular guards. This guard was one that I had seen the day of my arrival and had scared me with just a glace in my direction. I saw him, and took an unusual route to the garden through a hallway I had never seen before. I didn't want to turn around out of fear that I would run into the guard again, so I kept wandering frantically until I came across an open door to a room I had never seen. I went in, hoping that I could find someone kind enough to give me direction or to call for another servant to lead me away.

One of the deepest, smoothest voices I had ever heard startled me when I took a few steps into the room. "Who are you?"

I gulped and took a step back before realizing that the beautiful demon before me did not wish me harm. He was annoyed, I know now, but had no intention of hurting me or eating me for a snack, as I thought the scary guard might do.

I looked at him and instantly knew he was Susumu's son and bowed before him, hoping that I hadn't offended him.

"You have been asked a question. Answer," he stated, finally catching my brown eye, the other was still bruised from the last beating from the villagers, with his golden eyes rimmed with magenta. He seemed to accept that I didn't speak after a minute of silence and looked me over. I had been given a bath and new working yukata since my arrival, but I still suffered the bruises and sported unbound hair.

"You are lost," he deduced. He stood from behind his desk and walked toward me and the exit. As he passed I noticed that I did not even reach his hip in height. He went out to the hallway and I did not hesitate to follow him. He led me to the kitchen, a place I could easily navigate, and disappeared without further ado.

I carried on with my mission to fetch a flower, but all of my thoughts were consumed with Sesshomaru.

I brought the flower to Susumu's chambers and watched intently as Lady Kasumi directed the other maids in dressing Susumu. The only part of the ritualistic dressing I ever saw Kasumi truly participate in was tying the obi. She always tied the various knots, whether they adorned Susumu's backside or her own, she was always particular with the obi's knot. It took many years before Lady Kasumi even let me try to tie an obi's knot in my apprenticeship with her.

We proceeded to the formal dinner, the first I had ever attended. Lady Kasumi kept me close by her side and I never felt stranger than I did during that first formal dinner. I watched with the other maids and guards as the worthy guests and host ate their expensive meats and finely cooked dishes. I never saw a true teacup until that night.

They spoke of things I mostly did not understand, but it mattered little. I was so captivated with thoughts of Sesshomaru- I was curious of him and his nature. When Susumu excused herself, I was pulled along Kasumi to the tedious undressing of the fortress's lady regent. Lady Kasumi always took great care in explaining to me during these early years the importance of both dressing and undressing the high class ladies in the fortress. With Kasumi's guidance, I became a favored servant in Susumu's house.

After being dismissed, Kasumi and I were headed back to our shared room when Kasumi encouraged me to take a walk to calm down before bed.

I gladly took her advice, I liked to be outdoors more than indoors, and made my way to a small grove of trees Kasumi had shown me the day before. To my delighted surprise, Sesshomaru was sitting on a bough of one of the tall trees, seeming to trace the stars with his eyes.

"Where did you get those bruises?" he asked, not even moving his eyes from the dark sky.

I smiled at his question- Sesshomaru noticed me without anger!

"What are you smiling about? I simply asked a question… I don't care, I'm just curious," he said quite softly after glancing at my silly smile, which only made me smile wider.

I knew after that encounter that I did not admire anyone else in the world as much as I admired Sesshomaru. This childish admiration, of course, turned into love shortly after I turned fifteen.

The fortress still did not know my name a month after my arrival with Lady Kasumi. I had kept silent for the most part; the only sound I had allowed to pass my lips was a small laugh, usually because of the antics of Toki.

This changed one day when I was watching the perfumes scent Lady Susumu's kimonos on a sunny afternoon. Jaken, the green impish demon that acted as a sort of assistant to Sesshomaru came across the highly-scented area and started squawking at me for the smell. I stood, helpless, as the green imp squawked as loud as he could about the smell and the fact that I was a scrawny scrap of human scum.

Jaken was silenced by a rock perfectly shot into the back of his head, knocking over his short body.

"Jaken," Sesshomaru called from a few paces away.

Jaken immediately righted himself and bowed to Sesshomaru, apologizing for anything and everything he could have possibly done to deserve such a punishment.

I thought it was funny and smiled at the situation and the straight face Sesshomaru managed to keep.

Sesshomaru silenced the obscenely short demon with: "Leave."

After Jaken had scurried away, Sesshomaru began to follow at a slow pace, satisfied that he had spared me from Jaken. I quickly said as clearly as I could muster with my unused voice, "Lord Sesshomaru!"

Sesshomaru turned his head in my direction and waited a moment for me to continue.

"Thank you," I said and offered a bow.

Sesshomaru nodded before turning on his heel to walk away.

* * *

><p>Rin was in a comfortably warm sleep when she was startled by the sounds of movement in the room. It didn't really faze her- sound was a normal thing in the morning around the servants' quarters. But… Rin was not in the servants' quarters. She was in Sesshomaru's room. She was in <em>Sesshomaru's bed<em>. _Naked_.

"Good morning, sleepy Rin!"

Rin curled into the sheets, wondering where her demon space heater had gone and why she was being woken up by such loud voices.

"Move aside," Rin heard Susumu's voice command.

Rin peaked and eye open to find Susumu, along with five of her fellow servants, watching her intently.

"Why are you watching me?" Rin asked shyly, realizing she had nothing to shield her from six pairs of eyes but the silk blankets.

"Dear, you did it!" Susumu exclaimed, using her nose to find the truth. Rin was finally her daughter through mating. Though, to Susumu's utter disappointment, she did not yet smell of grandpups.

Rin wrapped the silk blankets around her shoulders and sat up to ask, "Where's Lord Sesshomaru?"

"He's gone to the training field," one of Rin's friends replied with the same silly smile as Susumu and the others. "He's been practicing with the half-breed and Prince Kouga for most of the morning."

Rin was a little saddened by this as she was expecting to wake up with Sesshomaru after their first night together, but the occupants of the room took no notice. Rin tried to not let it hurt her; maybe demons just didn't behave like humans did when in love.

"Come, let us get you dressed for the day," Susumu said, pulling Rin up out of the bed with her sheet as a makeshift dress. "I brought a couple of my kimonos for you to choose between… I'll have to send Jaken to buy your own new wardrobe…" Susumu mused aloud to Rin as the other maids pulled the sheet protecting the last of her modesty away and dressing her in a plain under robe.

"My lady… what does all this mean? For my place here…" Rin asked Susumu hesitantly. The question had been sitting on her mind since she woke up in the throne room the day before. "I do not want to assume that anything has changed…"

Susumu stopped her pacing and thinking and looked at Rin's confused look. She replied, "Everything has changed, my dear. You are no longer a mere human- no longer a servant to this house. Once you have been mated in the official ceremony, even your name shall change. That ceremony, I'm afraid, will have to wait until this whole Naraku business is taken care of," Susumu finally took a pause to breathe before continuing, "Until then, we can plan for a large ceremony to be the envy of every lord on the continent!"

Rin was a little taken aback from all the information, and a little scared. She never thought that the fruition of her admiration for Sesshomaru would come to all this.

"I have breakfast for you," one of the maids said as she came through the sliding doors carrying a tray filled with more food than Rin could ever eat in one morning and a fragrant tea.

Rin almost cringed as one of her fellow servants tied the obi, but figured Susumu wouldn't have her dressing herself. So Rin ignored it as best she could and sat as daintily as she deemed necessary once dressed to sip on her tea with Susumu and eat a few mouthfuls of food.

"Dear," Susumu interrupted Rin's half-hearted bite of a bean bun, "Why are you downtrodden? This is a happy morning."

Rin looked embarrassed enough for Susumu to wave the others in the room out before looking for a verbal answer.

Rin figured she wouldn't be getting away without answering, so she tried very hard to convey her strange feelings. She had expected to wake up next to Sesshomaru, to be together after sharing everything she had to offer. Even if it was selfish or human of her… Sesshomaru did have important things on his mind other than her...

Susumu seemed a tad shocked at this, she wasn't very versed in the love-life of humans, but tried to understand the practices of humans before telling Rin, "In all my time mated to Sesshomaru's father, I only woke up in the same bed as him a few times and that is usually because I woke up first. I feel that his father never stayed around Inuyasha's mother either unless she asked him to.

"If this is something you want to happen, this waking up to him in the same bed, you should ask for it head-on. Like how you confronted Sesshomaru about your love for him. Men, my dear, are clueless and will not know what you want unless you ask for it."


	12. Chapter 12

"Your center of balance is off," Susumu pointed out to Inuyasha as he lifted Tessaiga above his head in preparation to strike at Sesshomaru. "Use your middle to balance, not your legs and arms."

Inuyasha shot a trademark scowl at Susumu before adjusting his grip and trying her advice. On his down stroke, Inuyasha did notice that the adamant barrage shot closer to the center of his target. Maybe the old bitch did know what she was talking about…

"How much longer do you think they'll go at this?" Kagome asked Sango as she further reclined into her makeshift seat on the sidelines of the practice field. "It has to be close to lunch now."

Sango sighed and followed Kagome's lead in reclining before saying, "You know Inuyasha. He won't stop until he feels much more improved. Miroku doesn't seem to care while Shippo and Kouga seem to be enjoying it. And I'm sure Sesshomaru could go on forever."

Susumu gave a small, almost dignified snort at this, making Sango realize her implied words. "Rin would know best."

Kagome and Sango looked a bit lost and turned to the red-faced young woman under fire.

"I hardly think it appropriate…" Rin muttered, trying to keep her eyes away from all the women surrounding her.

"So you and Sesshomaru are definitely a thing, then?!" Kagome asked, excited at the chance to gossip. Living in the forest with only one other woman deprived Kagome of the hearsay and juicy gossip she was used to in her era. "He did go to hell for you and all!"

Susumu, noticing that Rin wasn't going to answer, replied, "Yes. My son and Rin have mated."

Kagome practically squealed at this information, leaning to Rin and clasping her hands together out of hope that there would be more to the story. Mom would sure love this tale from the feudal era! A regal, taciturn demon lord (almost prince!) falling for a maid! It was a real-life fairy tale! "How did you fall for Sesshomaru, Rin? Did he sweep you off of your feet? Did you dance until midnight under the stars? Oh, you must tell me everything!" Kagome exclaimed, unable to hold back her ideas about the possibilities.

"Uh, Kagome," Sango interrupted Kagome's rant, "I think you're overwhelming Rin."

"Oh," Kagome gave a sorry sort of giggle and smiled at Rin, "Sorry. It just seems so romantic."

"It isn't, really…" Rin said, still uneasy about her relationship with her lord.

"Yes it is, dearest," Susumu interjected, letting her eyes lazily catch Rin's. "Rin took a deal with Naraku to turn her into a demon so that she would have a fair chance with Sesshomaru while he considered Kagura for a mate."

"Really?!" Kagome excitedly asked, urging either Susumu or Rin to continue.

"Unfortunately, Naraku took Rin's lovely singing voice and somehow gave it to Kagura to trick Sesshomaru into accepting her as a mate from her father, Lord Onigumo. It wasn't long until the deception was uncovered, fortunately," Susumu explained as the tell-tale clamor of swords rung in the background.

"I was uncovered as a liar as well. Lord Sesshomaru thought I was a beautiful, noble demoness when I was just a household maid," Rin admitted quietly. She was still insecure about all of the implied lying she and Toki committed.

"You said Lord Onigumo?" Kagome questioned the demon, forgetting the uneasy decorum she had been practicing.

"Yes, he is the wind sorceress' father," Susumu sneered at remembering the demon's last appearance in her home, when he had stuck Rin at dinner.

"Onigumo _is_ Naraku," Sango stated, remembering Naraku's history as a dying bandit in the care of Kikyo.

Susumu let the information sink in for a moment before calling in a voice no louder than before to her son who was still sparring with the half-demon.

Sesshomaru lazily returned Tenseiga to its sheath and was before the women in an instant, leaving a frustrated Inuyasha in his wake still on the upswing of a strike. "Mother?" he questioned.

"The story of _Lord_ Onigumo has fallen into place. The demon is Naraku, it seems," Susumu drawled out the syllables, seeming to tease her son with the slow pace.

Kouga appeared next to Sesshomaru, wiping a trail of sweat from under his fur headband and shaking his head, "It would explain why the 'two' have been so intent on destroying my people and taking land."

"Also how Kagura ended up with Rin's voice," Susumu said to Sesshomaru, who remained silent but was letting his eyes remain on Rin. "My son would make a powerful ally to Naraku against Inuyasha, as he wields the other sword of their father's fang."

"Feh," huffed Inuyasha, still miffed that he had been left in the midst of a good fight, "Nothing can stand against Tessaiga."

Sesshomaru's head turned ever-so-slightly in Inuyasha's direction as his eyes bore holes into the half-demon's head. The look of death was noticed by all in the vicinity as Sesshomaru annunciated his words like he was speaking to a slow child, "You are unworthy of carrying that sword, half-breed, you hold no right to wield it, no right to swing that sword around as if it were a pup's toy."

"You're just jealous that the old man left the better sword to me," Inuyasha did not hesitate to reply, letting his eyes close in annoyance.

Kagome, genuinely concerned about the look Sesshomaru kept on giving Inuyasha, tried to warn: "Inuyasha, I don't think now's the best time to-"

Before she could even finish, Sesshomaru had materialized in front of Inuyasha, and, having flung Tessaiga out of sight in a flash of burnt skin, threw his half-brother back out to the open field.

"Let us witness how you can fight without the borrowed power of my father, then," Sesshomaru challenged, earning a concerned noise from both Sango and Kagome. They had seen Inuyasha fighting without Tessaiga, and it usually never ended pretty. Hopefully Sesshomaru wouldn't push Inuyasha that far…

Inuyasha did not mourn the loss of his sword for very long, realizing that Sesshomaru was the closest he would ever get to fighting with his father. Inuyasha tried his best to focus, to stay calm, to keep from letting his demon take over. While the extra power would no doubt help him fight Sesshomaru, he did not want to risk hurting his friends.

Sesshomaru waited, almost patiently, for Inuyasha to make the first strike and was not disappointed when the half-demon came running at him, sharp claws at the ready.

"Oh dear," Susumu sighed, coming up to a more alert position from her reclined seat on the ground. "Tell me, priestess, does the great fang suppress Inuyasha's demonic energy?" Susumu sniffed the rapidly changing air, catching the evolving scent of the half-demon bastard.

"Yes, my lady," Kagome replied, noticing the female dog-demon's nose twitch as she had often seen Inuyasha and Shippo's do. "When Inuyasha is away from Tessaiga… sometimes he loses control."

"I can smell that…" Susumu noted aloud, finding the scent to be incredibly close to that of her late mate's. "He is very much like his father," she added when she noticed that Inuyasha's eyes had bled red and a set of jagged purple markings adorned the changed demon's face. "One must never forget the power of dog demon blood, even in a half-demon."

Sesshomaru mostly stepped out of the way of Inuyasha's uncontrolled strikes, only using his claws on occasion to egg his younger brother on.

"Lord Sesshomaru isn't in danger, is he?" Rin asked quietly, finally breaking her silence. "I cannot discern most of their movements…"

Kouga turned and nodded to Rin, saying, "Sesshomaru's perfectly fine. I think he's teasing the mutt more than anything… and it seems old Inuyasha has fallen for it."

"Though it would not surprise me," Miroku added, "if this is the result of jealousy on Sesshomaru's behalf."

"Sesshomaru has always coveted Tessaiga, despite the fact that Tenseiga is obviously very powerful," Sango commented, having trouble following the quickly moving battle as well.

"Tenseiga is definitely powerful," Susumu stated, "but, as a weapon, it will never be as powerful as Tessaiga, considering the two were once the same blade."

The humans and demons alike turned toward the lady demoness, all wanting to clarify that statement before a loud bray of a cow interrupted their thoughts.

"Ah, old Totosai," Susumu drawled, "perfect timing, as always."

"Hello, old bitch," Totosai welcomed the lady in his cracking voice, startling the group with his abruptness. "It's been a few centuries now, hasn't it?"

"It has indeed. Sesshomaru tells me that you have refused to smith him a weapon," Susumu continued as if she hadn't been offended.

"Ah, yes. But it seems that Meido Zangetsuha has been unlocked by Sesshomaru," Totosai noted, wondering how the heartless dog demon managed to show enough compassion to be willing to protect someone in order to master the technique. "I believe the rest of the dog general's plans are coming to an end. It is only a matter of time before the Tessaiga becomes whole once more, eh?"

"My mind has been on the same thoughts," Susumu said to the ancient blacksmith as he rode his cow over to where Sesshomaru threw the fang. Totosai managed to fetch the sword and make his way back to the gathering of people as Inuyasha continued to barrage Sesshomaru with pointless attacks. "So- who managed to make Sesshomaru feel something other than apathy in order for him to unlock the technique?" Totosai finally asked as he inspected the drawn Tessaiga for nicks.

The group all looked at Rin, making her turn a shade of pink, as Totosai followed their glances.

"Ah, I should've smelt the dog on you, young lady. A human, hm?" Totosai clucked his tongue, letting his large eyes wander back to the sword in his hands. "Sesshomaru is more like his father than I thought."

"You will be receiving an invitation to the ceremony shortly- I expect your presence to be willing and _bathed_," Susumu stated as she turned her nose away from the blacksmith, "sulfur from your beloved lava is not a becoming smell on anyone, Totosai."

"Ah. Coming to Sesshomaru's mating ceremony would likely be a death sentence for me after today," Totosai replied as he hopped down from his cow to the ground. "Inuyasha," he called, "take up the fang." The blacksmith threw the sword at the half-demon, surprising the group of onlookers and Sesshomaru when it landed squarely in Inuyasha's outstretched arm.

"Totosai," Sesshomaru said darkly, reminding Rin of when he had fought with Naraku over her bed.

"He sure sounds mad about the interruption," Shippo commented.

"He is," Rin said aloud.

"Sesshomaru, it is time you knew the truth about your father's swords," Totosai called to the angry demon. "As I understand it, Inuyasha is in need of the Tenseiga's Meido Zangetsuha."

Sesshomaru suddenly appeared in front of the old demon, looking ready to pull his head from his body. Inuyasha slowly walked up to the gathering, still not totally clear of mind, his eyes slowly melting back to their usual gold.

"I don't need his shabby sword," Inuyasha gruffly said, trying to control the depth of his voice around his elongated fangs and earning a sharp look from Sesshomaru and Totosai.

"No doubt you have witnessed the Meido Zangetsuha, Inuyasha," Totosai berated him, knowing that any who saw the technique would not doubt the fang of heaven's power. "But it was destined by your father for the technique to return to the Tessaiga when the time was right- when Inuyasha had the ability to control it after it had been tamed by you, Sesshomaru. The swords were once whole one in the same, you see, before the great dog demon's untimely demise."

The group of demons and humans remained uneasy, wondering what was going through the dog lord's mind.

"Take the useless thing," Sesshomaru said, drawing Tenseiga and its sheath from his belt and tossing them nonchalantly before turning on his heel and heading back the fortress.

Rin noted that this was the second time she had witnessed this type of childish behavior.

Susumu sighed and stood to gain a better view of Totosai reforging the Tessaiga with Tenseiga. Quicker than they expected, Totosai handed Tessaiga to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha stepped away from the group and felt the Tessaiga change into its larger form and then into a black, starry blade resembling the glimpses he had seen of the underworld.

"Now if only Sesshomaru would take his sword back…" Susumu chided her son with her words, looking toward the walls of her home where Sesshomaru had disappeared to.

"Um, Master Totosai?" Rin questioned, giving the old demon a small bow after standing up. "Can I give that back to Lord Sesshomaru when he's in a better mood?" she asked, pointing to the Tenseiga.

"Ah, yes, my lady," Totosai replied, struck by her formality with him. How was Sesshomaru's mate so nice when he was so… intimidating?

"Thank you," Rin bowed to him once more before taking the sheathed sword from his hand and swiftly departing to follow Sesshomaru.

"He has taken after his father in the strangest of ways," Totosai mentioned to the demon lady. "I would never have thought Sesshomaru would take a human mate."

"Until recently, neither would I," Susumu said, watching as Rin made her way back to the fortress, feeling a little irked at her son for leaving his new vulnerable mate out here without his protection. "But she is meant for him, and you absolutely must hear her sing." _And she will bear me many, many grandpups with ears as cute as Inuyasha's._

* * *

><p>Rin had been walking through the main fortress in search of Sesshomaru for nearly an hour before she gave up and settled in the last room she was going to look in- his study. She decided against going to his room yet, as she was unsure if she was allowed in whenever she wanted. So she took a seat she was familiar with from the time she spent as a demon and allowed her fingers to trace the markings of Tenseiga's hilt, admiring the golden color of its tip as she sang her favorite song despite the fact that she had last sung it in hell.<p>

"_Hear me sing, swim to me…swim to me, let me enfold you. Here I am…here I am…waiting to hold you…"_

The soft sound of the sliding door feel on deaf ears, but once her last note had been sung, Rin found herself enfolded in the strong arms she had recently become acquainted with.

"I brought Tenseiga back, Sesshomaru," the use of his name earned her a quick caress on her side, tickling her slightly with his claws. "I know you think it useless… but… you sent my family to a better place with it, for which I can never repay you…"

"A gift for my mate," Sesshomaru stated, not allowing her to feel guilty for the exercise of his power in hell, "which never needs to be _repaid_."

She put the light sword into his outstretched palm and watched as he set it behind his low desk. "You do not return it to your side?"

"Not when I am about to remove my belt."

Rin blushed as she watched him carefully untie the casual knot of the belt which kept his hakama up. "Sesshomaru… I-I would like to ask you something, first."

Sesshomaru turned his eyes away from the loosened knot to the brown eyes of Rin, indicating that he was listening.

"In the mornings… would it be okay if you-if I, slept next to you?" Rin asked, hoping she used the right words.

Sesshomaru arched an eyebrow, as if to ask if that was all, and said in the tone Rin was becoming more and more familiar with, "Yes."

Rin smiled, letting her whole face show her elation.

Sesshomaru hummed at her, letting himself enjoy her happiness, promising her silently that she would only be happier after they had enjoyed…_lunch_, together.

* * *

><p>An: _Naked._ – I wanted to add that to the last word _so bad_.

Hope y'all don't mind my shortened version of Inuyasha's gaining of Meido Zangetsuha.

Anyone missing Kagura yet?


	13. Chapter 13

An/n: Damn, three chapters in once week. My niece and nephew are with their grandmother and law school is out for the summer... so the free time has kind to my writing time.

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><p>"Rin, dear," Susumu said sweetly to her newly acquired daughter, "I do not think these ladies have… formal attire for dinner tonight." The demoness' eyes betrayed an obvious distaste for Kagome's strange attire as she pointed set her eyes on the priestess' short green skirt.<p>

"Formal attire, my lady?" Sango questioned. "We wore these same things yesterday?"

"That was not a formal dinner, as the time was not set, and Sesshomaru did not originally head the table," Rin answered the demon slayer's question. "Formal kimono must be worn by females, with at least three layers." Rin was, after all, a dressing maid at her very core. "Lady Susumu, I would very much like to continue dressing, at the very least, myself. I'm not quite used to being dressed."

Susumu pursed her lips for a moment before allowing it, adding, "I still think of you as the best dresser in the fortress. It is fine with me to continue… let's just not mention this to your mate, shall we?"

Rin smiled, wondering if Sesshomaru would really care if she picked kimono and tied obi. "Lady Sango, Lady Kagome, it would be quite fun to dress you," Rin said brightly, giving the other girls a toothy grin.

Both girls nodded, Kagome a bit more enthusiastically than Sango, as she had never worn more fancy than a festival yukata.

Rin quickly began flitting about the borrowed wardrobe, picking complementary colors and patterns according to each woman's taste and beauty quickly, despite her bruised knees from earlier activities.

The result was stunning, as per Rin's usual.

"I wonder if Inuyasha will change," Kagome said, testing the heavy weight of the three layers she wore, the outermost layer a heavy blue silk with streamlined sleeves.

Sango answered as Rin tied her mauve obi in a complicated knot, "It would be a great surprise. I've never seen him in anything other than the fire rat robe."

"And we've never seen Miroku in anything other than his monk's robes, though I highly doubt he'll change," Kagome answered, trying to hide her blush. _I've seen Inuyasha in the buff, albeit accidentally. Multiple times._

"You might be surprised," Rin said as she finished Sango's knot, "I had never seen Prince Kouga out of formal attire until he left to rejoin you all."

"Kouga? In formal attire?!" Kagome gasped, lacking the ability to picture the fur skirt-clad wolf demon in anything other than his pelts.

"I think it is time to head to the dining room," Susumu said, happiness in her voice. Over the course of their short time together, the demoness had quickly figured out the group's dynamics. Kagome was in love with Inuyasha, Inuyasha was tentatively in love with Kagome. Miroku very obviously loved Sango, while Sango subtly loved Miroku. Shippo thought the half-demon a hero, and Kirara was happy to go along with whatever Sango wanted. This group was utterly _fascinating_.

They headed out of Susumu's quarters and around to the center parts of the fortress. Guards slid open the doors for the ladies as they filed in. Susumu quickly went to her end of the table, opposite of Sesshomaru while Rin followed Sesshomaru's silent direction to sit at his right side. Kagome and Sango stood in the entrance for a moment, taking in the scene.

Formal dinner was, very obviously, different than their 'casual' dinner.

Inuyasha brooded at the left side of Sesshomaru, wearing a loosely tied black haori and hakama and silver obi, which held Tessaiga. Kagome took a moment to admire his appearance before making her way over to her place beside Susumu, Shippo separating Inuyasha and Kagome.

Servants were quickly filling the table before them, whereas the night before the food was cold, tonight's was hot and noticeably well-presented.

Miroku, to Sango's slight disappointment, wore his usual monk's garb, but seemed to have taken a bath. Kouga sat in-between Sesshomaru and Inuyasha as Sango sat in the last available setting across from Kagome, noticing Miroku's lingering gaze as she sat on next to him. Kagome and Sango exchanged glances after seeing a formally dressed Kouga and Inuyasha, smiling like the teenagers they were. Kagome took another glance over to Sesshomaru, whose eyes haven't left Rin, realizing that his clothing was finer than any at the table.

"Does this kimono please you, my lord?" Rin asked, letting her eyes meet his in a fashion she never would have dreamed of a week ago.

Sesshomaru let out a pleasant hum before taking up his chop sticks for the first bite of the meal, the rest of the table quickly following suit.

Outside of Inuyasha's loud slurps of the hot food before him, a silence enveloped the table. Susumu, not one for quiet, asked Inuyasha, "When do you plan on mating with the human priestess, Inuyasha?"

Kagome turned bright red and lost her ability to answer the prying demoness, her mind reeling at the dog-demoness' words.

Inuyasha, caught off-guard and with a mouthful of food, choked and took a full minute to swallow his food.

Rin swore she heard Sesshomaru laugh.

* * *

><p>"Shall I retire, Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin asked after setting her teacup down, missing the other females who had already left the table and not wanting to listen to anymore conversation she really didn't understand.<p>

"If you wish," Sesshomaru answered, meeting his eyes with hers. "I will be along shortly," he added, then gestured for Toki and another guard to escort her. He watched her leave before he turned to the men remaining at the table to continue discussing strategy.

Once the three rounded the next corner out of the dining room, Rin relaxed and smiled at Toki, taking his hand in hers.

"Lady Rin, _I hardly think it appropriate_," Toki teased, using his falsetto voice. The guard on Rin's other side laughed hesitantly, not sure of the decorum he should practice around his lord's new mate.

"Toki, you are my oldest and closest friend, I don't ever want you calling me 'Lady Rin.'"

Toki used his free hand to scratch the back of his head, "I will around Lord Sesshomaru- I would like to keep my head, if you don't mind. In fact, if he saw me touching you, he'd probably do much worse than that."

"_I_ am touching _you_," Rin smiled at him, "if Sesshomaru ever doubts our friendship, that's something I'll set him straight on."

"I would like to see that," the other guard said under his breath, loud enough for only Toki to hear.

"We haven't had much time to talk, Toki, much less to keep each other company. I miss that," Rin said.

"Truly? You miss scrubbing kimonos and running about doing maid's work?" Toki teased, letting his arm relax in hers.

"Actually, I kind of do. I feel pretty useless now," Rin laughed.

"Well, I'm pretty sure it is hard work bearing pups for Lord Sesshomaru… and Lady Susumu."

Rin blushed, remembering the bruises on her knees quite suddenly.

"I'm teasing, Rin," Toki smiled at her red face. "It will probably be fun, if nothing else."

Rin's face only got redder as they rounded the last corner to Sesshomaru's room.

"Your maids are waiting for you," the other guard said as he slid the doors open. "We will be out here for your protection until Sesshomaru arrives."

"Thank you, Goro," Rin said, genuinely surprising the guard when she accurately remembered his name on top of thanking him. She really was different from cold Sesshomaru. "We will speak later, Toki?" She added before stepping into the room.

"Of course, my lady," he bowed in front of the sliding door, just in case Sesshomaru was nearby.

Rin smiled and turned as Goro slid the door shut behind her. One of her old friends waited by the wardrobe with a proper sleeping kosode, one Rin recognized as Susumu's. Rin was thankful that her old friend was not much of a gossiper, and left promptly once Rin was ready for bed, reminding her to ring a bell if she should want for anything.

Rin, not really tired yet and anxious for Sesshomaru to come to bed, walked over to a painting she hadn't noticed the night before. It was quite old, she could tell from the texture of the canvas and the stylized painting, though she was hardly a good judge of art. The demon man in the picture was obviously giant, with full armor covering his chest and arms. A cloud of fur similar to mokomoko adorned his shoulders, a round hilt of a sword peaked out above the fur and the demon's silver-white hair in a top knot. This sword Rin didn't recognize, as she did the Tessaiga in his obi. _This must be Sesshomaru and Inuyasha's father… _He bore a striking resemblance to Inuyasha, with his markings on his face matching those of Inuyasha's when he lost control of his demon blood.

She remembered the painting in Sesshomaru's study, which depicted their father in full-demon form, undisguised and powerful. Then she surmised that this painting must have been from before the Tenseiga was split from Tessaiga. Before their father fell in love with Inuyasha's mother.

Rin wondered if Sesshomaru would get a new sword because he fell in love with her.

The sliding sound of the door opening was a welcome sound to Rin, who smiled at her new mate walking in. "Good evening, Sesshomaru," Rin said, enjoying her freedom to say his name.

"Rin," he greeted back, enjoying the sight of her form in the candlelight before the portrait of his father. "Come here."

Rin followed his direction and was pleasantly surprised when he picked her up and carried her out the door.

"Where are we going?" Rin asked.

"The bathhouse."

* * *

><p>BREAK<p>

Rin felt completely relaxed, completely warm, and completely satisfied when she woke the next morning. "Good morning, Sesshomaru."

"Rin," Sesshomaru said her name gently, enjoying having her wake up his arms. No wonder she wanted this. It was beautiful- especially when she was clear of all scents but her own and his. He kissed her forehead, leaving her sighing, and sat up. "I am heading to the practice field again this morning."

"May I join you, Sesshomaru?" Rin asked as she stretched her limbs.

He nodded slightly and told her to dress herself quickly, having dismissed the maids before they could intrude a half-hour ago.

Rin dressed as quickly as she could, as warmly and simply as her borrowed wardrobe would allow for the bright winter's day.

Sesshomaru was done long before her, and gave extra time to tying his obi and sliding Tenseiga into the belt.

"Sesshomaru?" Rin asked as she finished tying her own obi, and continued at his met gaze, "In your father's portrait there is a sword on his back which I do not recognize…"

"The Sounga," Sesshomaru answered. "My father died with it and it has not been seen since."

"How does anyone know he died with it?" Rin asked, unable to suppress her openly curious nature.

Sesshomaru paused a moment before deciding it was best to be honest with her, "I was with him before he left to rescue Inuyasha and his mother. I demanded he bequeath Sounga and Tessaiga to me, knowing he would likely die of his wounds he had received only hours before."

Rin was surprised he had shared this with her, and had more questions she was dying to ask because of the newfound information. Why did he not ask for all three swords? Why did his father not give him the two swords?

Why was Sounga important to Sesshomaru?

Why didn't Sesshomaru aid his wounded father?

"Come, Rin," Sesshomaru said softly, hoping he had quelled her curiosity for the time being.

"Yes, my lord!" Rin excitedly answered, allowing the questions to go to the back of her mind. Sesshomaru headed towards the door but was stopped when Rin placed her small hand into his large, clawed one. He allowed it, and enveloped her hand in his before they stepped out of the sliding doors.

"Good morning, Sesshomaru, Rin," Susumu chirped sweetly as the two came up to the practice field. She had been admiring Sango's deft ability as the human sparred with Prince Kouga, enjoying the wolf come close to being hit by the demon slayer's giant Hiraikotsu.

Kagome was also on the field in her strange apparel, shooting at targets with a bow and arrow.

Totosai had shown up on his flying cow and was currently sharpening Miroku's shakujo whilst the monk and half-breed spoke behind him.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty!" Inuyasha shouted at the approaching pair, trying to provoke Sesshomaru again and itching to try out Meido Zangetsuha.

Sesshomaru shot his half-brother a glare and deposited Rin at the side of his mother, squeezing her hand before he let go.

"Draw," Sesshomaru said only moments before he ran toward the surprised half-demon.

"And there they go again," Miroku commented, sighing as he watched the brothers travel farther from the field and closer to the ocean.

"At least they fight for mostly good reasons," Totosai mused. "I think they've caught on that it is futile for them to really fight as their swords will not allow it. Their father was quite cunning in this."

Rin listened closely, recalling her questions about the swords of the brothers' father from the night before. "Master Totosai, what happened to the sword Sounga?" she asked, coming up beside the monk and old demon.

"How do you know about the Sounga, young lady?" Totosai asked, turning from the receding sparring match to look at the small woman.

"I observed it in a painting of the late lord- he had Tessaiga in his obi and Sounga strapped to his back. Sesshomaru told me it disappeared after his father died and that he wanted it," Rin supplied, tilting her head while trying to attain the answers to all of her questions.

"The great dog demon did not specify what to do with Sounga, so it was sealed away," Totosai said shortly. "I and the great dog demon's other retainers thought it best that neither Inuyasha nor Sesshomaru be given it, as it was a possessed, self-aware blade." The old demon finished his explanation shortly, implying to Rin that he would talk no more of that matter.

"I know that Lord Sesshomaru is powerful," Rin started, trying to see her distant mate but failing, "but I worry that he is less effective in battle without a blade."

"I have worried the same," Susumu agreed, hoping Totosai would reconsider forging her son a blade.

Totosai opened his mouth to respond but what caught off guard when Susumu pulled Rin closer to her person and gestured for Toki and the other few surrounding guards to come closer. They complied, and shortly after they had surrounded Rin they spotted a giant white feather floating down to the field.

"Kagura," Susumu said, mostly for Rin's sake. Sango and Kagome stopped their practice and huddled together on the far side of the field with the other demons, Sesshomaru and Inuyasha fighting out of sight.

Kagura's feather brought her down to the field and dissolved quickly, leaving the wind sorceress on her knees and laboring to breathe on the ground.

"She's hurt," Rin said softy, considering breaking past Toki to go to the demoness.

Kagura stood weakly, revealing a large swath of blood on her front, and took only a few steps toward Rin before falling on her knees again. "Sesshomaru…" she called weakly.

Before Rin could blink, Sesshomaru stood before Kagura, blocking the view of the dying demoness. Inuyasha followed soon after stopping a few paces from Kagura and in front of Kagome.

"Why do you come here, Kagura?" Sesshomaru asked coldly.

"To-to see you, one… one last time," Kagura said, voice weak as she clutched at her front. "Naraku… Naraku gave me my heart back- just before…"she gasped with bout of pain, "just before he ran a limb through me."

Rin pushed Toki out of the way and pushed Susumu's blocking arm from her path and quickly made her way to the side of Sesshomaru.

"Naraku is planning- something-something big," Kagura continued, seeming not to notice Rin's presence. "You came to see me thinking I was Naraku…didn't you, Sesshomaru? Dis…disappointed?"

"I knew it was you," Sesshomaru stated.

Rin understood- Kagura was in love with Sesshomaru. She almost felt guilty.

"I've had enough," Kagura stated, letting out a long sigh.

Rin did feel guilty.

Kagura leaned back and, with a whimsy smile at Sesshomaru, began to disappear into the wind.

"Sesshomaru!" Rin cried as she watched Kagura disappear, "Use Tenseiga!"

Sesshomaru put a hand on the hilt of his blade but felt no hum of life in the blade. "Tenseiga cannot save her," he stated as he watched that last bits of the demoness' body float away.

"Kagura," Rin quietly said, walking up to the remnants of the demoness' and finding her set of green bead earrings and fan.

"She will be laid to rest," Sesshomaru stated as he came closer to Rin.

Rin looked back at him and smiled softly before standing with the demoness' effects.

"She was smiling," Sesshomaru assured his mate, smelling the sadness in her.

The rest of the people had gotten closer in the meantime- Kagome added, "She was finally free. Naraku controlled her by holding her heart."

"She is as free as the wind she controlled, it seems," Susumu noted, not feeling particularly sad at the occasion. The bitch did interfere with Rin and her son, after all.

"She said Naraku's plannin' something big," Inuyasha said after a short silence. "And I wanna be prepared for somethin' big."

Sesshomaru set a hand on Rin's shoulder and looked her in the eyes for a brief moment before saying, "I'm following her scent back to the source." With that, Sesshomaru stepped away from Rin and gathered his demonic energy to fly away in a bright ball of light, slightly dazzling Rin in the process.

"We should follow," Kouga said to the traveling group. "If Naraku's at the other end of the scent, we might be able to get the bastard before he unleashes this 'something big.'"

"Kouga's right, we should follow," Miroku said, coming closer to Sango and Kirara.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome questioned.

"Yeah, wolf-boy's right. Let's follow Sesshomaru," Inuyasha quickly swung Kagome onto his back. "Shippo, stay here."

"What?!" the fox demon shouted, "I've gotta go with you!"

"Shippo- if we're about to fight Naraku, we need you here, just in case we fail," Inuyasha said, not a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Before Shippo could further protest, the group was off- Kouga in a whirlwind, Sango and Miroku on Kirara, and Inuyasha carrying Kagome.

"My, my, what a change of events," Susumu clucked her tongue as she stepped up beside Rin, ensuring that the young woman was okay.

"Most unexpected. I suspect young Sesshomaru will come back a changed demon," Totosai said, his voice shaking with age.

"What do you mean by that?" Rin asked, incredibly worried over her mate.

Totosai's eyes widened more than their usual, if possible, and seemed to have forgotten that he had said that last statement aloud. "Well, I suppose you will see, now won't you?"

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><p>An: What do you think: did Inuyasha willingly change for dinner or was he forced to?


	14. Chapter 14

This was not going well. This was not going well_ at all_, Kagome thought. When they had arrived at the open field where Sesshomaru battled hundreds of demons, Kagome saw that his arms and middle had been impaled- the fluff over his shoulder even looked bloody. The battle had only gotten worse, despite Sesshomaru's impressive show of instantaneous healing.

Though anyone who knew Sesshomaru's normal ability level would know that he was still suffering a disadvantage.

"Magatsuhi!" Inuyasha shouted as he unleashed a wind scar at a line of demons not surrounding their companions.

The great voice of the evil spirit rang through the group's ears and even caused Kagome to miss her intended target. Kagome was distracted by the multitude of demons surrounding them and tried to stay as close as she could to Inuyasha.

When Kagome looked back to Sesshomaru again, it seemed that his eyes were glowing red, as she had seen him do only a few times before. The first was when he had transformed into a giant dog in Inuyasha's father's grave hidden in the black pearl; now, Kagome realized, Sesshomaru might be doing the same thing for lack of a better option. Every bit of demon they killed and cut regenerated or attached itself to another, seeming to make the situation dire.

Kagome loosed another arrow before turning again and seeing Sesshomaru make the transformation into his dog form, which was quickly being ensconced by the frenzied lower demons in the air.

"Damn," Inuyasha cursed, herding Kagome closer to where Sango and Miroku fought from Kirara's back. "With everyone everywhere, I can't safely unleash Meido Zangetsuha."

If they got out of this, Kagome thought, Inuyasha was practicing the technique until it was perfectly controlled.

"Sesshomaru will be consumed," Sango gravely commented, watching as more demons surrounded the giant snarling dog.

"Does he realize he can slip outta that grip if he shrinks back down?" Inuyasha scoffed, wondering if Sesshomaru had a dog-brain in this form. He certainly did last time he had faced Sesshomaru like this.

Sesshomaru's large golden eyes glanced menacingly at Inuyasha before the dog demon transformed back into his humanoid form.

"He's been consumed!" Magatsuhi laughed from his place in the sky, behind the pulsating group of demons. "Soon his body shall become one with mine!"

* * *

><p>The Tenseiga protected him, surrounding him in a black light. It also spoke to him- showing him things he had not seen for nearly two centuries.<p>

_Do you desire power so much? Why do you seek power, my son? _

"The path I walk is the way of supreme conquest- and it is _power_ that will reveal the way for me."

_Supreme conquest?_ _Tell me, Sesshomaru, have you someone to protect?_

"Protect? The answer is no. I, Sesshomaru, have no need of such."

He did need it, to protect Rin. He went to Hell for her- surely he could face a spirit from the sacred jewel in order to return to her.

The space Tenseiga afforded him was growing smaller by the second, almost breaking Sesshomaru of his calm demeanor.

Father found his greatest power in protecting that human- protecting the mother of Inuyasha.

_I will surpass you, father, for I, Sesshomaru, have someone to protect!_

Sesshomaru's demonic energy overtook the Tenseiga's and, upon opening his eyes, Sesshomaru found an unfamiliar sword in his hand, with an instinct appearing in his head as had happened in Hell.

With a swing of the sword, the bodies surrounding him began to eat away, dissolving into the air. _I'm coming back, Rin._

Magatsuhi was about to be sent to the pits of Hell, eternally.

* * *

><p>"<em>In the mountains, in the breeze…"<em>

Rin sang as she picked flowers for Kagura's shrine, watched by Toki and Jaken as well as by a placated Shippo.

"…_in the forest, in a dream, Lord Sesshomaru where are you? Jaken is serving under you too…"_

Rin teased the small green demon, as he had profusely lamented over being left behind by Sesshomaru.

"_I am waiting on my own, please return to me waiting all alone."_

"You are far from being 'all alone,' _my lady_," Toki teased from his spot on the grass. Even though he was supposed to be guarding Rin, he felt that they were pretty safe within the fortress walls and Sesshomaru's group supposedly fighting Naraku.

"Well, you're 'all alone,' dear Toki. When do you plan on wooing that maid you've had your eye on forever?" Rin teased as she braided a few flowers together. Though it was winter, there were a few early risers, mostly undesirable flowers, but flowers nonetheless and Rin was determined to give Kagura a beautiful decoration. "I must remind you that she is my maid now, as Susumu has, well, given her to me. Maybe I could put a good word in for you?" Rin said while trying to hold back a laugh at Toki's unamused face.

"I swear, Rin-" a squawk from Jaken reminded him that he could not be informal with her, "Lady Rin, I have no intention of being matched. I'll approach the woman in my own, lazy time."

"Suuuuure," Shippo added, taking interest in Rin's obvious teasing of the water-demon guard.

"He's been saying this for quite some time," Rin continued, "I don't believe it for a minute."

Toki huffed and crossed his arms, wishing this line of conversation would end. "Yeah, whatever, Rin," earning Toki another squawk from Jaken with his words. "As I recall it, you didn't approach Lord Sesshomaru until very recently. Just give me some time, ok?"

Rin smiled at her best friend and weaved in another white flower to her growing chain. "Alright, Toki. I'll give you a little more time."

"Lady Rin," Jaken said in his annoyingly-pitched voice, "Lord Sesshomaru will not stand for these kinds of informalities with simple guards."

Rin said as sweetly as should manage to the toad, "But, Master Jaken, I was just recently a simple maid," effectively shutting Jaken up.

"It sure is strange to be in one place for so long," Shippo said as he handed Rin some pretty leaves he had gathered.

"You've only been here a few days," Rin mentioned, taking the leaves from the small fox demon gratefully.

Shippo sat in front a Rin, admiring her gracious nature, to say, "Traveling around trying to find all the jewel shards and Naraku doesn't leave us much time to sit around. Inuyasha gets anxious when we do- just like the dog he is."

Rin was curious to know more about Inuyasha and tried asking Shippo questions about him, mostly getting only simple answers which didn't much satisfy her curiosity. If she was to 'bear Sesshomaru strong pups'… didn't that mean they would be half-demons like Inuyasha? Sesshomaru didn't seem to get along so well with his half-brother.

In fact, Sesshomaru himself hadn't mentioned 'pups' at all. Did he not want any with her if they were to be half-human?

Sesshomaru had refused to help his father as he went to rescue Inuyasha and his mother…

"Why do you suddenly smell so concerned, Lady Rin?" Toki asked, his nose twitching.

"You're smell is off, Toki, I'm fine," Rin answered, wondering if she actually smelled that worried. Maybe she should talk to Susumu about this.

"Sure, Lady Rin," Toki said, emphasizing her title to please Jaken as he stood up and stretched. "Shall I fetch a maid for some lunch?" he asked, patting his stomach.

"Always thinking about food," Rin smiled as she watched him walk towards the nearest entrance to the main house.

Rin glanced back at the chain of flowers and leaves in her hands and felt satisfied enough with it to stand and stretch her own legs. She glanced back toward Toki's direction just in time to see a large black form cut him down from behind. "Toki!" she screamed as she picked up her feet and began to run to the fallen demon.

Shippo and Jaken followed suit and quickly surpassed Rin, who was weighed down by her layers of silk and human ability.

When Jaken and Shippo had reached Toki, Rin heard a nauseatingly familiar voice at her ear, "Lady Rin, I require your assistance."

"Naraku!" she cried and turned her face up to meet his red eyes.

"This all would have been easier if you had just died when you were supposed to, little Rin. But now, I suppose, you will come in handy," he said lowly, watching as the fox demon and green imp tried in vain to penetrate the barrier he had raised. "Shall we?" he said sarcastically, lifting Rin into the air and quickly flying off.

* * *

><p>"Two wolves of Prince Kouga's wish to speak with you, my lady," a demon servant said to Susumu, who sipped on tea in her study.<p>

"Ginta and Hakkaku, I suppose?" Susumu sighed, not wanting to be in the company of others as she worried over her son. "Send them in, but tell them to make this short."

The servant quickly left and only moments later were the two lackeys of Kouga's permitted in.

"My lady," Ginta said as both of the wolf demons bowed before hastily taking seats before the demoness' table.

Hakkaku started when Susumu did not answer, "We seek Kouga. The elders ask for him."

"Do you know where we can find him?" Ginta finished for his comrade. "We expected him to be here."

"He has gone off with my son and Inuyasha's group- they follow a trail of Naraku," Susumu stated, wondering if the two would follow or go back to their caves.

Her wondering was cut short when, in her next inhale through her nose, she smelled blood and heard a shout from Rin across the fortress. Susumu disappeared almost as quickly as her son could in a ball of light, breaking the rice paper of door as she did so. The wolf demons quickly followed, albeit much slower and on their uncovered feet.

Susumu materialized before the fallen body of Toki, searching the sky quickly for an absent Rin, but finding no clue as to her whereabouts.

"Lady Susumu! Lady Susumu!" The imp cried, tears freely flowing. "The demon Naraku has taken Rin!"

The wolves now were within earshot, and came quickly up to the group.

"Did he say where he was taking her?" Susumu questioned.

"No!" Shippo cried, worried for his new friend and the fallen guard.

"Ginta, Hakkaku," Susumu stated, turning her head ever-so-slightly in their direction, "Find old Totosai, I believe he is just outside the eastern wall with his cow, tell him to find Sesshomaru immediately. Tell him what has happened. Go," the demoness ordered.

The wolves quickly followed her orders and headed east in a sprint, concerned over the change of events. The elders could wait.

"Little demon," Susumu addressed Jaken, "fetch the Meido Stone from my quarters."

"Yes," he squawked, happy to do anything to keep her from killing him for letting Rin be taken.

Susumu kicked him impressively, landing him close to the entrance of the main house, before squatting gracefully next to Toki.

"He's," Shippo sniffled, "dead, right?"

Susumu placed her hand on the demon's chest sadly, "Yes."

* * *

><p>"Ya' coulda just let me help you, bastard," Inuyasha scoffed, slightly peeved at his brother's suddenly newfound power. Wasn't the demon powerful enough without a crazy sword?<p>

Sesshomaru scowled at Inuyasha, and then continued to admire the new sword in his hand. Never would he have imagined a sword so powerful would appear once he had admitted to his father that he had someone to protect.

"What is its' name?" Kagome asked, trying to peer around Sesshomaru's fluffy pelt to see the sword's beautiful design. She'd have to remember to ask Rin about that fluffy thing later…

Sesshomaru turned his head to the west and took a long sniff of the air before he stated under his breath, "Totosai."

"He always seems to show up when swords are involved, huh?" Sango observed as she finally spotted the flying cow descending to their position.

"Sesshomaru, it seems you have gained your sword," Totosai observed from his spot atop the cow's back. "Bakusaiga," the old demon said simply.

"Bakusaiga," Sesshomaru tested the name on his lips, appreciating the fittingness of the name to the sword.

"I will forge a fitting sheath, of course," Totosai admitted, hoping it would placate Sesshomaru a bit from what he still needed to mention to the dog demon. "You've surpassed your father," he added for good measure.

"Damn," Inuyasha cursed from behind Sesshomaru.

"Oh, yes, and Rin has been taken by Naraku," Totosai tried to say very quickly. "Ok, bye now!"

Sesshomaru grabbed the old demon by the back of his kimono's collar and flung him away from his cow. "What was that?"

* * *

><p>An: To address the question of why there is not_ citrus_ content in this story- I don't post sexually explicit content on sites easily accessible to young people, period. The 'M' rating comes from implied incestuous relations, violence, and language, much like an 'R' rated movie.

Thank you all for the support :) Anyone else like Totosai as much as I do? I've always found him funny...


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